This textbook introduces readers to practical statistical issues by presenting them within the context of real-life economics and business situations. It presents the subject in a non-threatening manner, with an emphasis on concise, easily understandable explanations. It has been designed to be accessible and student-friendly and, as an added learning feature, provides all the relevant data required to complete the accompanying exercises and computing problems, which are presented at the end of each chapter. It also discusses index numbers and inequality indices in detail, since these are of particular importance to students and commonly omitted in textbooks. Throughout the text it is assumed that the student has no prior knowledge of statistics. It is aimed primarily at business and economics undergraduates, providing them with the basic statistical skills necessary for further study of their subject. However, students of other disciplines will also find it relevant.

The series, Contemporary Perspectives on Data Mining, is composed of blind refereed scholarly research methods and applications of data mining. This series will be targeted both at the academic community, as well as the business practitioner. Data mining seeks to discover knowledge from vast amounts of data with the use of statistical and mathematical techniques. The knowledge is extracted form this data by examining the patterns of the data, whether they be associations of groups or things, predictions, sequential relationships between time order events or natural groups. Data mining applications are seen in finance (banking, brokerage, insurance), marketing (customer relationships, retailing, logistics, travel), as well as in manufacturing, health care, fraud detection, home-land security, and law enforcement.

This book introduces a new approach in the field of macroeconomic inventory studies: the use of multivariate statistics to evaluate long-term characteristics of inventory investments in developed countries. By analyzing a 44-year period series of annual inventory change in percentage of GDP in a set of OECD countries, disclosing their relationship to growth, industry structure and alternative uses of GDP (fixed capital investments, foreign trade and consumption), it fills a gap in the economic literature. It is generally accepted that inventories play an important role in all levels of the economy. However, while there is extensive literature on micro- (and even item-) level inventory problems, macroeconomic inventory studies are scarce. Both the long-term processes of inventory formation and their correlation with other macroeconomic factors provide interesting conclusions about economic changes and policies in our immediate past, and present important insights for the future.

In many disciplines of science it is vital to know the effect of a 'treatment' on a response variable of interest; the effect being known as the 'treatment effect'. Here, the treatment can be a drug, an education program or an economic policy, and the response variable can be an illness, academic achievement or GDP. Once the effect is found, it is possible to intervene to adjust the treatment and attain a desired level of the response variable. A basic way to measure the treatment effect is to compare two groups, one of which received the treatment and the other did not. If the two groups are homogenous in all aspects other than their treatment status, then the difference between their response outcomes is the desired treatment effect. But if they differ in some aspects in addition to the treatment status, the difference in the response outcomes may be due to the combined influence of more than one factor. In non-experimental data where the treatment is not randomly assigned but self-selected, the subjects tend to differ in observed or unobserved characteristics. It is therefore imperative that the comparison be carried out with subjects similar in their characteristics. This book explains how this problem can be overcome so the attributable effect of the treatment can be found. This book brings to the fore recent advances in econometrics for treatment effects. The purpose of this book is to put together various economic treatments effect models in a coherent fashion, make it clear which can be parameters of interest, and show how they can be identified and estimated under weak assumptions. The emphasis throughout the book is on semi- and non-parametric estimation methods, but traditional parametric approaches are also discussed. This book is ideally suited to researchers and graduate students with a basic knowledge of econometrics.

This volume collects selected, peer-reviewed contributions from the 2nd Conference of the International Society for Nonparametric Statistics (ISNPS), held in Cadiz (Spain) between June 11-16 2014, and sponsored by the American Statistical Association, the Institute of Mathematical Statistics, the Bernoulli Society for Mathematical Statistics and Probability, the Journal of Nonparametric Statistics and Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. The 15 articles are a representative sample of the 336 contributed papers presented at the conference. They cover topics such as high-dimensional data modelling, inference for stochastic processes and for dependent data, nonparametric and goodness-of-fit testing, nonparametric curve estimation, object-oriented data analysis, and semiparametric inference. The aim of the ISNPS 2014 conference was to bring together recent advances and trends in several areas of nonparametric statistics in order to facilitate the exchange of research ideas, promote collaboration among researchers from around the globe, and contribute to the further development of the field.

The relevance of applied economic and social analysis stands or falls with the strength of the analytical tools, on the one hand, and the appropriateness of the underlying data framework, on the other hand. Whereas virtually all economic and sociological research focuses on the analytical tools, this book deals with the design of an appropriate data framework. In many countries, it is not so much a lack of data per se that is the problem. Official statistics often comprise a wealth of information, laid down in many different publications. The main difficulty then relates to the lack of integration of these statistics, so that all kinds of events that are interrelated in reality can only be studied in isolation. Of course, the lack of integration of statistics applies less to economic data, as the national accounts function as a coordinating information system for these data. In fact, an important aim of this book is to demonstrate that the basic principles of national accounts can and should be extended to a wider range of statistics, notably social and environmental statistics. For this purpose, a so-called System of Economic and Social Accounting Matrices and Extensions (SESAME) is designed and applied in this book, following its announcement in the 1993 System of National Accounts, the guidelines of the United Nations and other international organizations.

This book fills an important gap in studies on D. D. Kosambi. For the first time, the mathematical work of Kosambi is described, collected and presented in a manner that is accessible to non-mathematicians as well. A number of his papers that are difficult to obtain in these areas are made available here. In addition, there are essays by Kosambi that have not been published earlier as well as some of his lesser known works. Each of the twenty four papers is prefaced by a commentary on the significance of the work, and where possible, extracts from technical reviews by other mathematicians.

This book is an ideal introduction for beginning students of econometrics that assumes only basic familiarity with matrix algebra and calculus. It features practical questions which can be answered using econometric methods and models. Focusing on a limited number of the most basic and widely used methods, the book reviews the basics of econometrics before concluding with a number of recent empirical case studies. The volume is an intuitive illustration of what econometricians do when faced with practical questions.

In this monograph the authors give a systematic approach to the probabilistic properties of the fixed point equation X=AX+B. A probabilistic study of the stochastic recurrence equation X_t=A_tX_{t-1}+B_t for real- and matrix-valued random variables A_t, where (A_t,B_t) constitute an iid sequence, is provided. The classical theory for these equations, including the existence and uniqueness of a stationary solution, the tail behavior with special emphasis on power law behavior, moments and support, is presented. The authors collect recent asymptotic results on extremes, point processes, partial sums (central limit theory with special emphasis on infinite variance stable limit theory), large deviations, in the univariate and multivariate cases, and they further touch on the related topics of smoothing transforms, regularly varying sequences and random iterative systems. The text gives an introduction to the Kesten-Goldie theory for stochastic recurrence equations of the type X_t=A_tX_{t-1}+B_t. It provides the classical results of Kesten, Goldie, Guivarc'h, and others, and gives an overview of recent results on the topic. It presents the state-of-the-art results in the field of affine stochastic recurrence equations and shows relations with non-affine recursions and multivariate regular variation.

This book is summarizing the results of the workshop "Uniform Distribution and Quasi-Monte Carlo Methods" of the RICAM Special Semester on "Applications of Algebra and Number Theory" in October 2013. The survey articles in this book focus on number theoretic point constructions, uniform distribution theory, and quasi-Monte Carlo methods. As deterministic versions of the Monte Carlo method, quasi-Monte Carlo rules enjoy increasing popularity, with many fruitful applications in mathematical practice, as for example in finance, computer graphics, and biology. The goal of this book is to give an overview of recent developments in uniform distribution theory, quasi-Monte Carlo methods, and their applications, presented by leading experts in these vivid fields of research.

The role of franchising on industry evolution is explored in this book both in terms of the emergence of franchising and its impact on industry structure. Examining literature and statistical information the first section provides an overview of franchising. The Role of Franchising on Industry Evolution then focuses on two core elements; the emergence or franchising and the contextual drivers prompting its adoption, and the impact of franchising on industry-level structural changes. Through two industry case studies, the author demonstrates how franchising has the ability to fundamentally transform an industry's structure from one of fragmentation to one of consolidation.

This work is an examination of borderless markets where national boundaries are no longer the only relevant criteria in making international marketing, economic planning, and business decisions. Understanding political and nonpolitical borders is especially important for products and industries that are culture bound and those that require local adaptation. National culture is one critical factor that affects economic development, demographic behavior, and general business policies around the world. Over 75,000 statistics are provided for over 230 national groups covering a number of social, economic, and business variables. A significant review of literature is also included.

The idea that simplicity matters in science is as old as science itself, with the much cited example of Ockham's Razor. A problem with Ockham's Razor is that nearly everybody seems to accept it, but few are able to define its exact meaning and to make it operational in a non-arbitrary way. Using a multidisciplinary perspective including philosophers, mathematicians, econometricians and economists, this monograph examines simplicity by asking six questions: What is meant by simplicity? How is simplicity measured? Is there an optimum trade-off between simplicity and goodness-of-fit? What is the relation between simplicity and empirical modelling? What is the relation between simplicity and prediction? What is the connection between simplicity and convenience?

This work is an examination of borderless markets where national boundaries are no longer the relevant criteria in making international marketing, economic planning, and business decisions. Understanding nonpolitical borders is especially important for products and industries that are culture bound and those that require local adaptation. Religion is one critical factor that affects economic development, demographic behavior, and general business policies around the world. Over 26,000 statistics are provided for over 70 religious groups covering a number of social, economic, and business variables. A significant review of literature is also included.

This work is an examination of borderless markets where national boundaries are no longer the relevant criteria in making international marketing, economic planning, and business decisions. Understanding nonpolitical borders is especially important for products and industries that are culture bound and those that require local adaptation. Ethnic culture is one critical factor that affects economic development, demographic behavior, and general business policies around the world. Over 120,000 statistics are provided for over 400 ethnic groups covering a number of social, economic, and business variables. A significant review of literature is also included.

This handbook presents a systematic overview of approaches to, diversity, and problems involved in interdisciplinary rating methodologies. Historically, the purpose of ratings is to achieve information transparency regarding a given body's activities, whether in the field of finance, banking, or sports for example. This book focuses on commonly used rating methods in three important fields: finance, sports, and the social sector. In the world of finance, investment decisions are largely shaped by how positively or negatively economies or financial instruments are rated. Ratings have thus become a basis of trust for investors. Similarly, sports evaluation and funding are largely based on core ratings. From local communities to groups of nations, public investment and funding are also dependent on how these bodies are continuously rated against expected performance targets. As such, ratings need to reflect the consensus of all stakeholders on selected aspects of the work and how to evaluate their success. The public should also have the opportunity to participate in this process. The authors examine current rating approaches from a variety of proposals that are closest to the public consensus, analyzing the rating models and summarizing the methods of their construction. This handbook offers a valuable reference guide for managers, analysts, economists, business informatics specialists, and researchers alike.

Hardbound. A comprehensive reference work for teaching at graduate level and research in empirical finance. The chapters cover a wide range of statistical and probabilistic methods applied to a variety of financial methods and are written by internationally renowned experts.

This book explores a wide range of issues related to the methodology, organization, and technologies of analytical work, showing the potential of using analytical tools and statistical indicators for studying socio-economic processes, forecasting, organizing effective companies, and improving managerial decisions. At the level of "living knowledge" in the broad context, it describes the essence of analytical technologies and means of applying analytical and statistical work. The book is of interest to readers regardless of their specialization: scientific research, medicine, pedagogics, law, administrative work, or economic practice. Starting from the premise that readers are familiar with the theory of statistics, which has formulated the general methods and principles of establishing the quantitative characteristics of mass phenomena and processes, it describes the concepts, definitions, indicators and classifications of socio-economic statistics, taking into consideration the international standards and the present-day practice of statistics in Russia. Although concise, the book provides plenty of study material as well as questions at the end of each chapter It is particularly useful for those interested in self-study or remote education, as well as business leaders who are interested in gaining a scientific understanding of their financial and economic activities.

This book provides the first comprehensive introduction to multi-agent, multi-choice repetitive games, such as the Kolkata Restaurant Problem and the Minority Game. It explains how the tangible formulations of these games, using stochastic strategies developed by statistical physicists employing both classical and quantum physics, have led to very efficient solutions to the problems posed. Further, it includes sufficient introductory notes on information-processing strategies employing both classical statistical physics and quantum mechanics. Games of this nature, in which agents are presented with choices, from among which their goal is to make the minority choice, offer effective means of modeling herd behavior and market dynamics and are highly relevant to assessing systemic risk. Accordingly, this book will be of interest to economists, physicists, and computer scientists alike.

This is a collection of papers by leading theorist Robert A Pollak - four of them previously unpublished - exploring the theory of the cost of living index. The unifying theme of these papers is that, when suitably elaborated, the theory of the cost of living index provides principled answers to many of the practical problems that arise in constructing consumer price indexes. In addition to Pollak's classic paper The Theory of the Cost of Living Index, the volume includes papers on subindexes, the intertemporal cost of living index, welfare comparisons and equivalence scales, the social cost of living index, the treatment of `quality', and consumer durables in the cost of living index.

The time series in the first part of this third biennial compilation show the values of each country's imports and exports, the trading blocs, and each country's most important trading partners. Next, imports and exports of selected commodities are detailed by quantity and by value over the years. Annual and cumulative trade balances are listed and a breakdown is given by Standard International Trade Classification groups. Part Four provides balance of payment figures and indicates changes in indebtedness at various times. A detailed list of tables and an alphabetical index permit quick and easy access to any information required.

Recent advancements in data collection will affect all aspects of businesses, improving and bringing complexity to management and demanding integration of all resources, principles, and processes. The interpretation of these new technologies is essential to the advancement of management and business. The Handbook of Research on Expanding Business Opportunities With Information Systems and Analytics is a vital scholarly publication that examines technological advancements in data collection that will influence major change in many aspects of business through a multidisciplinary approach. Featuring coverage on a variety of topics such as market intelligence, knowledge management, and brand management, this book explores new complexities to management and other aspects of business. This publication is designed for entrepreneurs, business managers and executives, researchers, business professionals, data analysts, academicians, and graduate-level students seeking relevant research on data collection advancements.

A highly readable, logically presented, unique guide to asset allocation strategies and technical analysis, this work covers numerous investment alternatives including mutual funds and fixed income securities. Aby and Vaughn provide a comprehensive examination of point and figure charting and vertical bar analysis, combined with an approach that both improves timing and emphasizes the minimization of errors in data interpretation and investment decision making. The authors discuss ways to estimate price targets and provide unique forecasting methods for fixed-income and aggregate equity markets, using an intermarket perspective. This is an important and useful resource for professionals and other knowledgeable investors.

Throughout the book, Aby and Vaughn challenge conventional and acceptable academic thinking. Through emphasis on smaller, more obscure capitalization issues, they reduce complex concepts to a highly readable framework pervaded by comprehensive coverages of a large number of investment options. Major topics featured include the illustration and application of critical concepts underlying vertical bar chart analysis; extensive coverage on contemporary strategies that improve timing and challenge past criticisms of point and figure charting; a unique approach utilizing the point and figure charts to reveal how mutual fund selection can be improved; and intermarket technical analysis, a method through which movements in bond prices and yields are predicted.