The universality of ? 1 as a dual space

Let X be a Banach space with a separable dual. We prove that X embeds isomorphically into a ${{\mathcal L}_\infty}$ space Z whose dual is isomorphic to ? ₁. If, moreover, U is a space with separable dual, so that U and X are totally incomparable, then we construct such a Z, so that Z and U are totally incomparable. If X is separable and reflexive, we show that Z can be made to be somewhat reflexive.     

Dismantle or remanufacture?

In this paper we study a firm’s disposition decision for returned end-of-use products, which can either be remanufactured and sold, or dismantled into parts that can be reused. We formulate this problem as a multi-period stochastic dynamic program, and find the structure of the optimal policy, which consists of monotonic switching curves. Specifically, if it is optimal to remanufacture in a given period and for given inventory levels, then it is also optimal to remanufacture when the inventory of part(s) is higher or the inventory of remanufactured product is lower.     

Students’ degree project as an efficient test discriminator

The problem is considered of determining how a degree examination project, which consumes a very significant proportion of the time of the student and his supervisor, affects his overall degree performance, and discriminates among students of varying performance, particularly at the university level. A survey sampling method for data collection and techniques for analysis are discussed, and results show the degree project to be a poor discriminator.     

Successive unconstrained dual optimization method for?rank-one approximation to tensors

A successive unconstrained dual optimization (SUDO) method is developed to solve the high order tensors?? best rank-one approximation problems, in the least-squares sense. The constrained dual program of tensors?? rank-one approximation is transformed into a sequence of unconstrained optimization problems, for where a fast gradient method is proposed. We introduce the steepest ascent direction, a initial step length strategy and a backtracking line search rule for each iteration. A proof of the global convergence of the SUDO algorithm is given. Preliminary numerical experiments show that our method outperforms the alternating least squares (ALS) method.     

Correct or incorrect application of CAPM? Correct or incorrect decisions with CAPM?

This paper focuses on inconsistencies arising from the use of NPV and CAPM for capital budgeting. It shows that: (i) CAPM capital budgeting decision-making based on disequilibrium NPV is deductively inferred by the capital asset pricing model, (ii) the use of the disequilibrium NPV is widespread in finance both as a decision rule and as a valuation tool, (iii) the disequilibrium NPV does not guarantee additivity nor consistency with arbitrage pricing, so that it is unreliable for valuation, (iv) Magni’s [Magni, C.A., 2002. Investment decisions in the theory of finance: Some antinomies and inconsistencies. European Journal of Operational Research 137, 206–217; Magni, C.A., 2007a. Project valuation and investment decisions: CAPM versus arbitrage. Applied Financial Economics Letters 3 (2), 137–140] criticism of the NPV criterion refers to the disequilibrium NPV, and De Reyck’s [De Reyck, B., 2005. On investment decisions in the theory of finance: Some antinomies and inconsistencies. European of Operational Research 161, 499–504] project valuation method, on the basis of which Magni’s criticism to NPV is objected, leaves decision makers open to arbitrage losses and incorrect decisions.     

Trigonometric polynomial or exponential fitting approach?

The application of a trigonometric polynomial and an exponential fitting approach is compared for a three-point formula for second-order derivatives, for Simpson’s quadrature rule and for Numerov’s scheme for second-order differential equations. The expressions for the occurring parameters are constructed in both the approaches and the behaviour of these parameters with respect to the introduced frequency is studied. The errors for specific problems obtained in both the approaches as a function of the frequency are compared.     

To what extent does the dual Banach spaceE′ determine the polynomials overE?

We show that under conditions of regularity, ifE′ is isomorphic toF′, then the spaces of homogeneous polynomials overE andF are isomorphic. Some subspaces of polynomials more closely related to the structure of dual spaces (weakly continuous, integral, extendible) are shown to be isomorphic in full generality.     

Arbitrage without borrowing or short selling?

We show that a trader, who starts with no initial wealth and is not allowed to borrow money or short sell assets, is theoretically able to attain positive wealth by continuous trading, provided that she has perfect foresight of future asset prices, given by a continuous semimartingale. Such an arbitrage strategy can be constructed as a process of finite variation that satisfies a seemingly innocuous self-financing condition, formulated using a pathwise Riemann–Stieltjes integral. Our result exemplifies the potential intricacies of formulating economically meaningful self-financing conditions in continuous time, when one leaves the conventional arbitrage-free framework.     

Semimartingale: Itô or not ?

Itô semimartingales are the semimartingales whose characteristics are absolutely continuous with respect to Lebesgue measure. We study the importance of this assumption for statistical inference on a discretely sampled semimartingale in terms of the identifiability of its characteristics, their estimation, and propose tests of the Itô property against the non-Itô alternative when the observed semimartingale is continuous, or discontinuous with finite activity jumps, and under a number of technical assumptions.     

To charge or not to charge?

Discussions on the success or failure of OR practice tend to focus on specific case studies which often highlight major dilemmas that face OR professionals: Model robustness, simplicity vs complexity, optimising vs satisficing, conflict between criteria, who is the ‘client’?, and so on. But above all, the following issues predominate: Should OR be concerned with tactical or strategic problems? Where should it be placed in the organisational structure and who should it report to? These issues inevitably raise the questions of accountability, coupled with that of charging for OR services. It is this issue in particular, whether to charge or not to charge for OR services, that the paper seeks to explore.     

Publish or Perish? — A Case Study

This paper describes and discusses a consultancy project which was concerned with identifying a successful future for an ailing journal. The paper emphasises that part of the project which involved problem construction and discusses the use of cognitive mapping as an aid to defining the nature of a policy problem which involves conflicting and qualitative views of the problem.