A free coordination hull approach to efficiency measurement

Superficially, the free disposal hull production possibility set (pps) can be regarded as a binary version of the Banker, Charnes and Cooper pps, in which only one component of the vector, λ, is non-zero and of necessity equal to 1. We therefore propose, by analogy with a pps due originally to Koopmans, a new pps which retains the binary characteristic of the components of λ but permits more than one component to be non-zero. Thus, a given DMU's performance is assessed not only against the individual DMUs included in the sample but also against composite DMUs obtained by simple aggregation. This approach is demonstrated and investigated on a published data set.     

The choice of a technical efficiency measure on the free disposal hull reference technology: A comparison using US banking data

This paper evaluates a variety of technical efficiency measures based on a given nonparametric reference technology, the free disposal hull (FDH). Specifically, we consider the radial measure of Debreu (1951)/Farrell (1957) and the nonradial measures of Färe (1975), Färe and Lovell (1978) and Zieschang (1984). Furthermore, input-based, output-based, and graph efficiency versions of these four measures are computed. Theoretical consideration as to the best choice among these alternative measures is inconclusive; therefore, we examine this problem from an empiricalviewpoint. Calculating thirteen different measures of technical efficiency for a sample of US banks, we compare the measures' efficiency distributions and rankings, paying particular attention to how well the radial measure approximates its nonradial alternatives.     

Global attractor for a nonlinear thermoviscoelastic model with a non-convex free energy density

This paper is concerned with the existence of a global attractor for a semiflow governed by the weak solutions to a nonlinear one-dimensional thermoviscoelasticity with a non-convex free energy density. The constitutive assumptions for the Helmholtz free energy include the model for the study of martensitic phase transitions in shape memory alloys. To describe physically phase transitions between different configurations of crystal lattices, we work in a framework in which the strain u$u$ belongs to L^∞$L^{\infty }$. New approaches are introduced and more delicate estimates are derived to establish the crucial L^∞$L^{\infty }$-estimate of strain u$u$ in deriving the compactness of the orbit of the semiflow and the existence of an absorbing set.     

A linear programming framework for free disposal hull technologies and cost functions: Primal and dual models

The free disposal hull (FDH) model, introduced by Deprins et al. [The Performance of Public Enterprises Concepts and Measurements, Elsevier, 1984], is based on a representation of the production technology given by observed production plans, imposing strong disposability of inputs and outputs but without the convexity assumption. In its traditional form, the FDH model assumes implicitly variable returns to scale (VRS) and the model was solved by a mixed integer linear program (MILP). The MILP structure is often used to compare the FDH model to data envelopment analysis (DEA) models although an equivalent FDH LP model exists (see Agrell and Tind [Journal of Productivity Analysis 16 (2) (2001) 129]). More recently, specific returns to scale (RTS) assumptions have been introduced in FDH models by Kerstens and Vanden Eeckaut [European Journal of Operational Research 113 (1999) 206], including non-increasing, non-decreasing, or constant returns to scale (NIRS, NDRS, and CRS, respectively). Podinovski [European Journal of Operational Research 152 (2004) 800] showed that the related technical efficiency measures can be computed by mixed integer linear programs. In this paper, the modeling proposed here goes one step further by introducing a complete LP framework to deal with all previous FDH models.     

Global sub-increasing and global sub-decreasing returns to scale in free disposal hull technologies: Definition,characterization and calculation

Global Returns to Scale (GRS) is an important notion in performance analysis under Free Disposal Hull (FDH) technologies. Ray Average Productivity (RAP) function has a crucial role in interpreting the GRS. We define two new notions, called Global Sub-Increasing RTS (G-SIRS) and Global Sub-Decreasing RTS (G-SDRS), invoking the behaviour of the RAP function at its maximizers. These notions are useful from a managerial standpoint, because they help the decision maker to decide about contracting or expanding the operation of the units under consideration. After presenting a motivating example and defining G-SIRS and G-SDRS, some theorems are proved to characterize these new notions. A polynomial-time algorithm is sketched which is able to determine the GRS of the Decision Making Units (DMUs) under evaluation. The second part of the paper is devoted to calculating a stability interval for GRS. It is done through some theorems and a polynomial-time algorithm. The results of the paper are illustrated by numerical examples as well as empirical studies with real-world data. Computational experiments are reported as well.     

The inverse hull of the free semigroup on a set X

In this paper the inverse hull of the free semigroup on a non-empty set X is characterized. It is shown that if F^O is a certain semilattice and (G,*) is the free group on X, then is isomorphic to a Rees factor semigroup of a subsemigroup of (F^O x G, #), where (A,w)#(B,u) = ((A*w B)*w^–1, w*u). Several properties of , including Green's relations on are also determined.     

Global existence for a quasi-linear evolution equation with a non-convex energy

We establish the existence of global in time weak solutions to the initial-boundary value problem related to the dynamics of coherent solid-solid phase transitions in viscoelasticity. The class of the stored energy functionals includes the double well potential, and a general convolution damping term is considered.

     

Stability and optimal control of thermomechanical processes with non-convex free energies of Ginzburg–Landau type

In this paper we study a coupled non-linear system of partial differential equations that models the dynamics of structural phase transitions in a one-dimensional non-viscous and heat-conducting solid. The corresponding Helmholtz free energy density is assumed in Ginzburg–Landau form; to allow for phase transitions and hysteresis phenomena, it is not assumed convex in the order parameter. It is shown that the solution of the system depends continuously upon the data, and we prove an existence result for an associated optimal control problem.     

向量优化中Free Disposal集的某些对偶性质

在分离局部凸空间中考虑free disposal集的对偶性质,其中free disposal集是指与凸锥的代数和仍是其本身的集合.在E_1或E_2是free disposal集的条件下,证明了(E_1∩E_2)~+=E_1~++E_2~+和E_1~+∩E_2~+=(E_1+E_2)~+等对偶结果.     

Functional inequalities on manifolds with non-convex boundary

In this article, new curvature conditions are introduced to establish functional inequalities including gradient estimates, Harnack inequalities and transportation-cost inequalities on manifolds with non-convex boundary.     

Differentiability properties for a class of non-convex functions

Closed sets K ⊂ satisfying an external sphere condition with uniform radius (called ϕ-convexity or proximal smoothness) are considered. It is shown that for -a.e. x ∊ ∂K the proximal normal cone to K at x has dimension one. Moreover if K is the closure of an open set satisfying a (sharp) nondegeneracy condition, then the De Giorgi reduced boundary is equivalent to ∂ K and the unit proximal normal equals -a.e. the (De Giorgi) external normal. Then lower semicontinuous functions f : with ϕ-convex epigraph are shown, among other results, to be locally BV and twice -a.e. differentiable; furthermore, the lower dimensional rectifiability of the singular set where f is not differentiable is studied. Finally we show that for -a.e. x there exists δ (x) > 0 such that f is semiconvex on B(x,δ(x)). We remark that such functions are neither convex nor locally Lipschitz, in general. Methods of nonsmooth analysis and of geometric measure theory are used. Work partially supported by M.I.U.R., project “Viscosity, metric, and control theoretic methods for nonlinear partial differential equations.”     

Convex drawings of graphs with non-convex boundary constraints

In this paper, we study a new problem of convex drawing of planar graphs with non-convex boundary constraints, and call a drawing in which every inner-facial cycle is drawn as a convex polygon an inner-convex drawing. It is proved that every triconnected plane graph with the boundary fixed with a star-shaped polygon whose kernel has a positive area admits an inner-convex drawing. We also prove that every four-connected plane graph whose boundary is fixed with a crown-shaped polygon admits an inner-convex drawing. We present linear time algorithms to construct inner-convex drawings for both cases.     

Efficiency measurement for parallel production systems

In the real world there are systems which are composed of independent production units. The conventional data envelopment analysis (DEA) model uses the sum of the respective inputs and outputs of all component units of a system to calculate its efficiency. This paper develops a parallel DEA model which takes the operation of individual components into account in calculating the efficiency of the system. A property owned by this parallel model is that the inefficiency slack of the system can be decomposed into the inefficiency slacks of its component units. This helps the decision maker identify inefficient components and make subsequent improvements. Another property is that the efficiency calculated from this model is smaller than that calculated from the conventional DEA model. Few systems will have perfect efficiency score; consequently, a stronger discrimination power is gained. In addition to theoretical derivations, a case of the national forests of Taiwan is used as an example to illustrate the whole idea.     

Fenchel-Rockafellar type duality for a non-convex non-differential optimization problem

A Fenchel-Rockafellar type duality theorem is obtained for a non-convex and non-differentiable maximization problem by embedding the original problem in a family of perturbed problems. The recent results of Ivan Singer are developed in this more general framework. A relationship is also established between the solutions and optimal values of the primal and dual problems using the theory of subdifferential calculus.     

Two evasion problems in a plane with separate controls and non-convex terminal sets

Two different pursuit-evasion games are considered from the evader's point of view. The phase space is a plane, each of the two players controlling the motion of a point only along its own coordinate. The terminal sets are not convex; in the first problem, the set is an arc of a circle, in the second, the union of tow segments. In both games evasion cannot the achieved by means of programmed controls, but it can be achieved using feedback control. However, the strategies, which are continuous functions of the phase vector, have different properties in each problem. In the first, they cannot guarantee evasion (which is typical for the linear-convex case as well), but in the second they can (which is impossible in linear-convex games with a fixed final time). Verification that evasion is unachievable using such strategies reduces here to proving the solvability of a certain initial-value problem for an advanced differential equation, to which the Schauder principle is applicable.     

基于一种新的集合插值的非凸紧集的细分概型

对A rtstein给出的度量平均的定义作了改进,给出一种新的集合插值,并基于这种新的集合插值,对相应的关于一般紧集的样条细分和插值细分分别作了研究,并给出了细分的收敛性性质.与此同时,将这种新的集合插值与基于度量平均的插值及基于M inkow sk i平均的插值分别作了比较,可以看出新的集合插值在某些方面具有更好的物理性质.