This book deploys the mathematical axioms of modern rational mechanics to understand minds as mechanical systems that exhibit actual, not metaphorical, forces, inertia, and motion. Using precise mental models developed in artificial intelligence the author analyzes motivation, attention, reasoning, learning, and communication in mechanical terms. These analyses provide psychology and economics with new characterizations of bounded rationality; provide mechanics with new types of materials exhibiting the constitutive kinematic and dynamic properties characteristic of different kinds of minds; and provide philosophy with a rigorous theory of hybrid systems combining discrete and continuous mechanical quantities. The resulting mechanical reintegration of the physical sciences that characterize human bodies and the mental sciences that characterize human minds opens traditional philosophical and modern computational questions to new paths of technical analysis.
The most controversial area in competition policy is that of exclusionary practices, where actions are taken by dominant firms to deter competitors from challenging their market positions. Economists have been struggling to explain such conduct and to guide policy-makers in designing sensible enforcement rules. In this book, authors Chiara Fumagalli, Massimo Motta, and Claudio Calcagno explore predatory pricing, rebates, exclusive dealing, tying, and vertical foreclosure, through a blend of theory and practice. They develop a general framework which builds on and extends existing economic theories, drawing upon case law, discussions of cases and other practical considerations to identify workable criteria that can guide competition authorities to assess exclusionary practices. Along with analyses of policy implications and insights applied to case studies, the book provides practitioners with non-technical discussions of the issues at hand, while guiding economics students with dedicat
In an era of increased reliance on private regulatory bodies and globalised economic activity, standardisation is the field where politics, technical expertise and strategic behaviour meet and interact. International standard-setting bodies exemplify the rise of transnational governance and the challenges that it brings about relating to institutional choice, legitimacy, procedural and substantive fairness or transparency. This book takes a more empirical-based approach focusing on the mechanics of international standard-setting. It constitutes a multidisciplinary inquiry into the foundations of international standard-setting, an empirically under-researched yet important area of international informal lawmaking. Contributors expertly examine the peculiarities of international standardisation in selected issue-areas and legal orders and shed light on the attributes of international standard-setters, allowing comparisons among standard-setting bodies with a view to identifying best prac
This volume, first published in 1960, offers a description, in non-technical language, of the state of the British shipbuilding industry, its prospects, and how it stood in relation to its competitors by the middle of the twentieth century. The topics Mr Parkinson discusses are the growth of the industry, its organisation, the demand for ships, and the supply. The last subject touches on such questions as technical change, industrial organisation, labour and competition.
John Harvey’s accessible book provides a non-technical yet rigorous introduction to various schools of thought in economics. Premised on the idea that economic thinking has been stunted by the almost
In a lively, non-technical, and up-to-date account, this book addresses the core questions that surround the issues of agricultural subsidies. Explores these questions: Why do we have subsidies? How d
Describes how to make economic decisions regading safety in the chemical and process industries Covers both technical risk assessment and economic aspects of safety decision-making Suitable for both
The definite guide to the theory, knowledge, technical expertise, and ethical considerations that define the M&S profession From traffic control to disaster management, supply chain analysis to mi
Covering technical design and construction aspects as well as financial analysis and risk assessment, this professional reference work provides a comprehensive overview of solar power technology. Whether or not you have a technology background, this essential guide will help you to understand the design, construction, financial analysis, and risk assessment of solar power technology. The first two chapters present an uncomplicated overview of solar power technology physics, solar cell technology, applications, and equipment. In subsequent chapters, readers are introduced to fundamental econometric analysis in such a way that will allow anyone, whether or not they have a background in finance, to become familiar with the fundamental costing and financing of large scale solar power programs. This book is essential reading for anyone involved with solar power project development, and is suitable for both graduate students and professionals.
The profession of academic economics has been widely criticized for being excessively dependent on technical models based on unrealistic assumptions about rationality and individual behavior, and yet it remains a sparsely studied area. This volume presents a series of background readings on the profession by leading scholars in the history of economic thought and economic methodology. Adopting a fresh critique, the contributors investigate the individual incentives prevalent in academic economics, describing economists as rational actors who react to their intellectual environment and the incentives for economic research. Timely topics are addressed, including the financial crisis and the consequences for the discipline, as well as more traditional themes such as pluralism in research, academic organizations, teaching methodology, gender issues and professional ethics. This collection will appeal to scholars working on topics related to economic methodology and the teaching of economic
In a lively, non-technical, and up-to-date account, this book addresses the core questions that surround the issues of agricultural subsidies. Explores these questions: Why do we have subsidies? How
The ten chapters presented here by Conill (U. of Valencia, Spain), Christoph Luetge (Technical U. of Braunschweig, Germany), and Schonwalder-Kuntze (U. of Munich, Germany) are broad in their conceptua
A modern, non-technical 2005 introduction to contemporary debates within development economics within a framework which emphasises the historical and political context. As it assumes no prior knowledg
Twelve chapters cover a wide variety of topics, including finance, contracts, political risk insurance, legal issues, economics, and technical cooperation. All treatment of these subjects focuses on c
A non-technical introduction to the question of modeling with time-varying parameters, using the beta coefficient from Financial Economics as the main example. After a brief introduction to this co
The papers presented in this volume address diverse challenges in energy systems, ranging from operational to investment planning problems, from market economics to technical and environmental conside
We spend vast amounts of time acquiring confidence in narrow technical fields: quadratic equations or bioengineering; economics or pole vaulting. But we overlook the primordial need to acquire a more
This pioneering proclamation by the great architect expounds Le Corbusier's technical and aesthetic theories, views on industry, economics, the relation of form to function, "mass-production spirit,"
