This book undertakes a detailed construction of Dynamic Markov Bridges using a combination of theory and real-world applications to drive home important concepts and methodologies. In Part I, theory is developed using tools from stochastic filtering, partial differential equations, Markov processes, and their interplay. Part II is devoted to the applications of the theory developed in Part I to asymmetric information models among financial agents, which include a strategic risk-neutral insider who possesses a private signal concerning the future value of the traded asset, non-strategic noise traders, and competitive risk-neutral market makers. A thorough analysis of optimality conditions for risk-neutral insiders is provided and the implications on equilibrium of non-Gaussian extensions are discussed. A Markov bridge, first considered by Paul Levy in the context of Brownian motion, is a mathematical system that undergoes changes in value from one state to another when the initial and final states are fixed. Markov bridges have many applications as stochastic models of real-world processes, especially within the areas of Economics and Finance. The construction of a Dynamic Markov Bridge, a useful extension of Markov bridge theory, addresses several important questions concerning how financial markets function, among them: how the presence of an insider trader impacts market efficiency; how insider trading on financial markets can be detected; how information assimilates in market prices; and the optimal pricing policy of a particular market maker. Principles in this book will appeal to probabilists, statisticians, economists, researchers, and graduate students interested in Markov bridges and market microstructure theory.

In this book, we study decision trees for fault diagnosis in circuits and switching networks, which are among the most fundamental models for computing Boolean functions. We consider two main cases: when the scheme (circuit or switching network) has the same mode of operation for both calculation and diagnostics, and when the scheme has two modes of operation—normal for calculation and special for diagnostics. In the former case, we get mostly negative results, including superpolynomial lower bounds on the minimum depth of diagnostic decision trees depending on scheme complexity and the NP-hardness of construction diagnostic decision trees. In the latter case, we describe classes of schemes and types of faults for which decision trees can be effectively used to diagnose schemes, when they are transformed into so-called iteration-free schemes. The tools and results discussed in this book help to understand both the possibilities and challenges of using decision trees to diagnose faults in various schemes. The book is useful to specialists both in the field of theoretical and technical diagnostics.It can also be used for the creation of courses for graduate students.

This book focuses on Political Public Relations (PPR) Techniques of both Russian and US Leaderships. It does so by analysing leadership (presidential or otherwise) inaugural addresses from the two countries between 1980 to 2018, using triangulation analysis of verbal, non-verbal language, and emotions of speakers. Given that the Russian perception of Political Public Relations, known as Political Technologies (PT) in Russia, is unique and often misunderstood or misinterpreted in Western scholarship, the book acts as a bridge between these two fields of studies. With that in mind, the study of Political Technologies is explained and applied in a wider sense than is offered by other disciplines, specifically in more meaningful ways than suggested in communications discipline in the West. In doing so, the book not only offers a deep dive into theory, but also provides a unique methodology aiming at extracting and analysing PPR or PT techniques. This triangulation method allows us to investigate a combined effect of audio visual and verbal "effects" on the general public, and offers a way of interpreting such "effects". Readers would understand more about the research dynamic in PPR discipline, apply the triangulation methodology to expand this research, and more generally find out more about the evidence-based list of PPR techniques and their applications and interpretations."

This book charts the roller coaster ride taken by the authors over the past 33 years, in the ongoing fight to acknowledge, prevent, and respond to the rape and sexual abuse of women in conflict and displacement situations. They have worked with an international network of academics, refugee women, and human rights activists in 22 countries. The story moves between refugee camps and the United Nations, refugee settlements in cities and national governments. Theory and ethical research methods are an important part of the story. At times it is very confronting, sometimes amusing and often uplifting.

This book undertakes a detailed construction of Dynamic Markov Bridges using a combination of theory and real-world applications to drive home important concepts and methodologies. In Part I, theory is developed using tools from stochastic filtering, partial differential equations, Markov processes, and their interplay. Part II is devoted to the applications of the theory developed in Part I to asymmetric information models among financial agents, which include a strategic risk-neutral insider who possesses a private signal concerning the future value of the traded asset, non-strategic noise traders, and competitive risk-neutral market makers. A thorough analysis of optimality conditions for risk-neutral insiders  is provided and the implications on equilibrium of non-Gaussian extensions are discussed. A Markov bridge, first considered by Paul Lévy in the context of Brownian motion, is a mathematical system that undergoes changes in value from one state to another when the initial and final states are fixed. Markov bridges have many applications as stochastic models of real-world processes, especially within the areas of Economics and Finance. The construction of a Dynamic Markov Bridge, a useful extension of Markov bridge theory, addresses several important questions concerning how financial markets function, among them: how the presence of an insider trader impacts market efficiency; how insider trading on financial markets can be detected; how information assimilates in market prices; and the optimal pricing policy of a particular market maker. Principles in this book will appeal to probabilists, statisticians, economists, researchers, and graduate students interested in Markov bridges and market microstructure theory.

Risk budgeting models set risk diversification as objective in portfolio allocation and are mainly promoted from the asset management industry. Albina Unger examines the portfolios based on different risk measures in several aspects from the academic perspective (Utility, Performance, Risk, Different Market Phases, Robustness, and Factor Exposures) to investigate the use of these models for asset allocation. Beside the risk budgeting models, alternatives of risk-based investment styles are also presented and examined. The results show that equalizing the risk across the assets does not prevent losses, especially in crisis periods and the performance can mainly be explained by exposures to known asset pricing factors. Thus, the advantages of these approaches compared to known minimum risk portfolios are doubtful.