Multiscale variety in complex systems

The Law of Requisite Variety is a mathematical theorem relating the number of control states of a system to the number of variations in control that is necessary for effective response. The Law of Requisite Variety does not consider the components of a system and how they must act together to respond effectively. Here we consider the additional requirement of scale of response and the effect of coordinated versus uncoordinated response as a key attribute of complex systems. The components of a system perform a task, with a number of such components needed to act in concert to perform subtasks. We apply the resulting generalization—a Multiscale Law of Requisite Variety—to understanding effective function of complex biological and social systems. This allows us to formalize an understanding of the limitations of hierarchical control structures and the inadequacy of central control and planning in the solution of many complex social problems and the functioning of complex social organizations, e.g., the military, healthcare, and education systems. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 9: 37–45, 2004     

浅谈高校实行成本管理的必要性和可行性及其组织措施

介绍了当前高等学校实行成本管理的必要性,探讨了高等学校实行成本管理的可行性,阐述了高等学校实行成本管理的组织措施。     

非寿险投资型保险产品开发的经验、问题和对策——从资金运用角度出发的思考

非寿险投资型产品是带有投资性质的非寿险保险产品.现阶段,大力发展非寿险投资型产品是满足多样化金融需求,做大做强非寿险业的客观需要.目前,我国非寿险投资型产品起步晚,规模小,发展很不充分.针对发展过程中的经验教训和出现的问题,应从增加资金运用透明度、提高资金运用专业化、创新产品开发机制等方面采取措施,促进非寿险投资型产品迅速发展.     

对创建学习型电力企业的思考

阐述了创建学习型电力企业的必要性，提出了创建学习型电力企业的方法与途径，并根据当前创建学习型电力企业的实际强调了应重点把握的几个方面。     

对应收账款机会成本的探讨

对应收账款机会成本主要存在两个方面的问题:一是在延长信用期方案是否可行的决策分析中,没有考虑到由于延长信用期,使延长信用期前的那部分销售额的应收账款余额增加,从而使未能收现的利润增加;二是结合我国现行税制,考虑与应收账款平均余额相对应的增值税税额.     

最优受教育年限选择的模型分析

为进一步定量分析个人教育投资现象,构建了一般性地反映人们在就学和就业之间进行选择的最优化模型,并对影响人们教育投资决策行为的因素进行了分析.在简单的假定前提下运用数学语言再现了教育经济和劳动经济研究中的相关结论.     

Depth profiling of latex blends of fluorinated and fluorine‐free acrylates with laser‐induced secondary mass spectrometry

We explored phase separation and self‐assembly of perfluoroalkyl segments at the surface of polymer films obtained from latices of semifluorinated acrylate copolymers and the corresponding latex blends of nonfluorinated and semifluorinated polyacrylates. With laser‐induced secondary mass spectrometry the fluorine distribution was measured after annealing above the minimum film‐forming temperature of the polymers up to a depth of several micrometers. Depth profiles of a semifluorinated acrylate homopolymer and latex blends thereof with fluorine‐free alkylacrylates with 25, 50, and 75 mol % semifluorinated acrylate as well as a copolymer comprised of alkyl acrylate and semifluorinated acrylate (50/50 mol %) were investigated. In the case of latex blends containing both semifluorinated polyacrylates and fluorine‐free or low‐fluorine polymers, self‐assembly accounted for enrichment of the perfluoroalkyl segments at the surface. Coatings exhibiting low surface energy and having a substantially reduced total fluorine content were obtained. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 360–367, 2003     

中国上市公司资本结构影响因素之实证研究

资本结构不仅是财务理论研究中的热点及难点,也日益成为公司理财决策的关键问题.本文从影响因素角度对资本结构进行实证研究.文中以深沪两市部分非金融类上市公司为样本,利用本世纪最初三年的企业财务数据,选取可能影响企业资本结构的多个指标为解释变量,利用单因素方差分析、主成分分析、逐步回归分析找出了主要影响因素及其影响方式,试图为国内上市公司资本结构决定因素提供最新实证研究证据,并为企业财务决策提供支持.     

Validation and verification of social processes within agent-based computational organization models

The use of simulation modeling in computational analysis of organizations is becoming a prominent approach in social science research. However, relying on simulations to gain intuition about social phenomena has significant implications. While simulations may give rise to interesting macro-level phenomena, and sometimes even mimic empirical data, the underlying micro and macro level processes may be far from realistic. Yet, this realism may be important to infer results that are relevant to existing theories of social systems and to policy making. Therefore, it is important to assess not only predictive capability but also explanation accuracy of formal models in terms of the degree of realism reflected by the embedded processes. This paper presents a process-centric perspective for the validation and verification (V&V) of agent-based computational organization models. Following an overview of the role of V&V within the life cycle of a simulation study, emergent issues in agent-based organization model V&V are outlined. The notion of social contract that facilitates capturing micro level processes among agents is introduced to enable reasoning about the integrity and consistency of agent-based organization designs. Social contracts are shown to enable modular compositional verification of interaction dynamics among peer agents. Two types of consistency are introduced: horizontal and vertical consistency. It is argued that such local consistency analysis is necessary, but insufficient to validate emergent macro processes within multi-agent organizations. As such, new formal validation metrics are introduced to substantiate the operational validity of emergent macro-level behavior. Levent Yilmaz is Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Engineering in the College of Engineering at Auburn University and co-founder of the Auburn Modeling and Simulation Laboratory of the M&SNet. Dr. Yilmaz received his Ph.D. and M.S. degrees from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). His research interests are on advancing the theory and methodology of simulation modeling, agent-directed simulation (to explore dynamics of socio-technical systems, organizations, and human/team behavior), and education in simulation modeling. Dr. Yilmaz is a member of ACM, IEEE Computer Society, Society for Computer Simulation International, and Upsilon Pi Epsilon. URL: http://www.eng.auburn.edu/~yilmaz     

俄罗斯专制主义的文化认同与现实选择

俄罗斯文化中专制主义因素的形成，是与它独特的地理环境和历史经历分不开的。可以说巨大而平坦的平原和东北罗斯的森林是造就俄罗斯文化权威性的空间因素；而它从拜占廷引入的东正教和鞑靼人的统治构成了影响它文化权威性的时间因素；此外俄罗斯独特的社会组织——村社，是它得以长久保存的社会基础，这些构成了俄罗斯的传统文化。斯大林正是在这种传统文化模式影响下将原苏联引上了现代化之路，如今的俄罗斯改革也必然要接受这种传统文化的挑战。