The book offers an interdisciplinary perspective on finance, with a special focus on stock markets. It presents new methodologies for analyzing stock markets' behavior and discusses theories and methods of finance from different angles, such as the mathematical, physical and philosophical ones. The book, which aims at philosophers and economists alike, represents a rare yet important attempt to unify the externalist with the internalist conceptions of finance.

Case studies fascinate because they link individual instances to general patterns and knowledge to action without denying the priority of individual situations over the generalizations derived from them. In this volume, an international group of senior scholars comes together to consider the use of cases to produce empirical knowledge in premodern China. They trace the process by which the project of thinking with cases acquired a systematic and public character in the ninth century CE and after. Premodern Chinese experts on medicine and law circulated printed case collections to demonstrate efficacy or claim validity for their judgements. They were joined by authors of religious and philosophical texts. The rhetorical strategies and forms of argument used by all of these writers were allied with historical narratives, exemplary biographies, and case examples composed as aids to imperial statecraft.

In recent years, the issue of linkage in GEAs has garnered greater attention and recognition from researchers. Conventional approaches that rely much on ad hoc tweaking of parameters to control the search by balancing the level of exploitation and exploration are grossly inadequate. As shown in the work reported here, such parameters tweaking based approaches have their limits; they can be easily fooled by cases of triviality or peculiarity of the class of problems that the algorithms are designed to handle. Furthermore, these approaches are usually blind to the interactions between the decision variables, thereby disrupting the partial solutions that are being built up along the way.

This book reports initial efforts in providing some useful extensions in - nancial modeling; further work is necessary to complete the research agenda. The demonstrated extensions in this book in the computation and modeling of optimal control in finance have shown the need and potential for further areas of study in financial modeling. Potentials are in both the mathematical structure and computational aspects of dynamic optimization. There are needs for more organized and coordinated computational approaches. These ext- sions will make dynamic financial optimization models relatively more stable for applications to academic and practical exercises in the areas of financial optimization, forecasting, planning and optimal social choice. This book will be useful to graduate students and academics in finance, mathematical economics, operations research and computer science. Prof- sional practitioners in the above areas will find the book interesting and inf- mative. The authors thank Professor B.D. Craven for providing extensive guidance and assistance in undertaking this research. This work owes significantly to him, which will be evident throughout the whole book. The differential eq- tion solver "nqq" used in this book was first developed by Professor Craven. Editorial assistance provided by Matthew Clarke, Margarita Kumnick and Tom Lun is also highly appreciated. Ping Chen also wants to thank her parents for their constant support and love during the past four years.

Genetic algorithms (GAs) are powerful search techniques based on principles of evolution and widely applied to solve problems in many disciplines. However, most GAs employed in practice nowadays are unable to learn genetic linkage and suffer from the linkage problem. The linkage learning genetic algorithm (LLGA) was proposed to tackle the linkage problem with several specially designed mechanisms. While the LLGA performs much better on badly scaled problems than simple GAs, it does not work well on uniformly scaled problems as other competent GAs. Therefore, we need to understand why it is so and need to know how to design a better LLGA or whether there are certain limits of such a linkage learning process. This book aims to gain better understanding of the LLGA in theory and to improve the LLGA's performance in practice. It starts with a survey of the existing genetic linkage learning techniques and describes the steps and approaches taken to tackle the research topics, including using promoters, developing the convergence time model, and adopting subchromosomes.

One major branch of enhancing the performance of evolutionary algorithms is the exploitation of linkage learning. This monograph aims to capture the recent progress of linkage learning, by compiling a series of focused technical chapters to keep abreast of the developments and trends in the area of linkage. In evolutionary algorithms, linkage models the relation between decision variables with the genetic linkage observed in biological systems, and linkage learning connects computational optimization methodologies and natural evolution mechanisms. Exploitation of linkage learning can enable us to design better evolutionary algorithms as well as to potentially gain insight into biological systems. Linkage learning has the potential to become one of the dominant aspects of evolutionary algorithms; research in this area can potentially yield promising results in addressing the scalability issues.

Many older people, indeed the majority, have many years of relatively good health after the usual retirement age. Contrary to widely accepted stereotypes, evidence indicates that those who wish to use their skills and abilities for productive contributions may encounter significant barriers.

Bass, Caro, and Chen and the experts who contributed to the volume provide an original reassessment of the current options available to older people. The authors argue that polices, practices, and societal messages help determine what choices are realistically open to older individuals. The attitudes and policies of family, workplace, and government as well as those of educational and religious institutions all contribute to defining what opportunities really are available for older people. The authors show, too, that considerations of gender and ethnicity are powerful in their impact on what those in the later years of life may or may not do. Although leisure is attractive to many in their elder years, the authors stress that it is but one of the number of choices that should be available. Employment, volunteering, and other new productive roles should not be denied to those who want to continue them and who, in the process, enrich their own and society's well-being. The authors provide authoritative analysis and new perspectives on aging.

By analyzing the interactions between China's central government and its local governments and enterprises, this book constructs an analytical framework of government-enterprise collusion, analyzing the impact of collusion within the China model on Chinese society. Against the background of decentralization and under information asymmetry, this text argues that Chinese local governments connive at enterprises' adoption of a low-cost 'bad' mode of production - a 'stimulus' for quick growth at the cost of safer working conditions - so as to obtain fiscal or political capital for further promotion. Through an examination of coalmine mortality rate, environmental pollution, food safety and house pricing, the book argues that collusion is the intrinsic drive of the China model. It consider how against a backdrop of political centralization and economic decentralization, collusion exacerbates corruption and impacts both on the country's social development and on its foreign direct investment. Offering an analysis of future prospects for the China model, it puts forward key policy proposals to improve domestic institutional construction through reform.

Key features: Contains the contributions of international experts from the UK, USA, Australia, Spain and Taiwan Includes over 1,500 high-quality illustrations Maintaining the health of pigs is vital in pig farming and production. This new book written by experts from around the world focuses on the health of pigs, first with coverage of the disorders of pigs organised by clinical sign and body system. The book explores environmental medicine and then health maintenance. Treatment options are discussed, emphasizing a reduction in antimicrobial use and an increased awareness of a holistic approach to treatment. The book includes over 1,500 high-quality illustrations to enhance the clinical description, as well as a wealth of high-quality videos to test the reader in making differential diagnoses with treatment options. Quizzes at the end of each section also encourage reflective learning. Clinical examination of the individual pig and groups are covered along with environmental medicine, making this the ideal reference for veterinary practitioners and students. Those interested in population medicine (poultry, aquaculture, cattle and small ruminant and apiaries) will particularly enjoy the holistic approach to veterinary medicine. All those who appreciate the many talents of pigs will enjoy the practical approach to managing the health of their animals. This book moves veterinary science forward, promoting health rather than treating disease. It will be your number one reference for keeping your pigs healthy.

A Tender Voyage is the first full-length study of the history of childhood and children's lives in late imperial China. The author draws on an extraordinary range of sources to analyze both the normative concept of childhood-literary and philosophical-and the treatment and experience of children in China. The study begins with the history of pediatrics and newborn care and their evolution over time. The author moves on to the social environment of the child, including models of upbringing and expected behavior and the treatment of different kinds of children, including the rebellious and the "gentle" child. She examines the role of the mother, notably her close and complex relations with her sons, and the broader emotional world of children, their relationships with the adults around them, and the destructive power of death. The last section discusses concepts of childhood in China and the West. Throughout, the study keeps in view the issue of representation versus practice, the role of memory, and the importance of listening for what is not said.

The Principle of Large Numbers indicates that macro fluctuations have weak microfoundations; persistent business cycles and interrupted technologies can be better characterized by macro vitality and meso foundations. Economic growth is limited by market extent and ecological constraints. The trade-off between stability and complexity is the foundation of cultural diversity and mixed economies. The new science of complexity sheds light on the sources of economic instability and complexity. This book consists of the major work of Professor Ping Chen, a pioneer in studying economic chaos and economic complexity. The chapters are selected from works completed since 1987, including original research on evolutionary dynamics of division of labor, empirical and theoretical studies of economic chaos, and stochastic models of collective behavior. Offering a new perspective on market instability and the changing world order, the basic pillars in equilibrium economics are challenging by solid evidence of economic complexity and time asymmetry, including Friedman's theory of exogenous money and efficient market, the Frisch model of noise-driven cycles, the Lucas model of microfoundations and rational expectations, the Black-Scholes model of option pricing, and the Coase theory of transaction costs. Throughout, a general framework based on complex evolutionary dynamics is developed, which integrates different insights from Smith, Malthus, Marx, Schumpeter, and Keynes and others a new understanding of the evolutionary history of division of labor. This book will be of interest to postgraduates and researchers in Economics, including macroeconomics, financial economics, advanced econometrics, and economic methodology.

Examines the major issues of language planning and policy in Japan, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea and Vietnam, particularly those relating to the selection of official language, script, and written language.

Remote web-based experimentation, enabling students and researchers to access the laboratory anytime via the Internet, is becoming an increasingly attractive way to complement or even replace traditional laboratory sessions. Placing a video camera & microphone before the equipment and apparatus to capture what is actually happening in the laboratory allows the images and audio data to be streamed to the client side. Researchers in different countries can share equipment and conduct research cooperatively and remotely. The authors summarise their research and discuss the development of the 5 web-based laboratories launched from the National University of Singapore. The principles, structure, and technologies required for the creation of Internet remote experimentation systems are discussed with particular emphasis on the integration of hardware and software systems. Also highlighted is the design and development of interfaces and components for use in typical web-based laboratories or similar web-control applications.

The Principle of Large Numbers indicates that macro fluctuations have weak microfoundations; persistent business cycles and interrupted technologies can be better characterized by macro vitality and meso foundations. Economic growth is limited by market extent and ecological constraints. The trade-off between stability and complexity is the foundation of cultural diversity and mixed economies. The new science of complexity sheds light on the sources of economic instability and complexity.

This book consists of the major work of Professor Ping Chen, a pioneer in studying economic chaos and economic complexity. The chapters are selected from works completed since 1987, including original research on evolutionary dynamics of division of labor, empirical and theoretical studies of economic chaos, and stochastic models of collective behavior. Offering a new perspective on market instability and the changing world order, the basic pillars in equilibrium economics are challenging by solid evidence of economic complexity and time asymmetry, including Friedman 's theory of exogenous money and efficient market, the Frisch model of noise-driven cycles, the Lucas model of microfoundations and rational expectations, the Black-Scholes model of option pricing, and the Coase theory of transaction costs.

Throughout, a general framework based on complex evolutionary dynamics is developed, which integrates different insights from Smith, Malthus, Marx, Schumpeter, and Keynes and others a new understanding of the evolutionary history of division of labor. This book will be of interest to postgraduates and researchers in Economics, including macroeconomics, financial economics, advanced econometrics, and economic methodology.

Examines the major issues of language planning and policy in Japan, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea and Vietnam, particularly those relating to the selection of official language, script, and written language.

Material Science and Environmental Engineering presents novel and fundamental advances in the fields of material science and environmental engineering. Collecting the comprehensive and state-of-art in these fields, the contributions provide a broad overview of the latest research results, so that it will proof to be a valuable reference book to academics and professionals in these areas.

The book offers an interdisciplinary perspective on finance, with a special focus on stock markets. It presents new methodologies for analyzing stock markets' behavior and discusses theories and methods of finance from different angles, such as the mathematical, physical and philosophical ones. The book, which aims at philosophers and economists alike, represents a rare yet important attempt to unify the externalist with the internalist conceptions of finance.

This book reports initial efforts in providing some useful extensions in - nancial modeling; further work is necessary to complete the research agenda. The demonstrated extensions in this book in the computation and modeling of optimal control in finance have shown the need and potential for further areas of study in financial modeling. Potentials are in both the mathematical structure and computational aspects of dynamic optimization. There are needs for more organized and coordinated computational approaches. These ext- sions will make dynamic financial optimization models relatively more stable for applications to academic and practical exercises in the areas of financial optimization, forecasting, planning and optimal social choice. This book will be useful to graduate students and academics in finance, mathematical economics, operations research and computer science. Prof- sional practitioners in the above areas will find the book interesting and inf- mative. The authors thank Professor B.D. Craven for providing extensive guidance and assistance in undertaking this research. This work owes significantly to him, which will be evident throughout the whole book. The differential eq- tion solver "nqq" used in this book was first developed by Professor Craven. Editorial assistance provided by Matthew Clarke, Margarita Kumnick and Tom Lun is also highly appreciated. Ping Chen also wants to thank her parents for their constant support and love during the past four years.

Covers the transmission of real-time video and audio for internet experimentation. Provides detailed descriptions of how the various hardware and software systems can be seamlessly integrated for a complete internet remote experimentation system. Contains examples of real working experiments that are currently running.

One major branch of enhancing the performance of evolutionary algorithms is the exploitation of linkage learning. This monograph aims to capture the recent progress of linkage learning, by compiling a series of focused technical chapters to keep abreast of the developments and trends in the area of linkage. In evolutionary algorithms, linkage models the relation between decision variables with the genetic linkage observed in biological systems, and linkage learning connects computational optimization methodologies and natural evolution mechanisms. Exploitation of linkage learning can enable us to design better evolutionary algorithms as well as to potentially gain insight into biological systems. Linkage learning has the potential to become one of the dominant aspects of evolutionary algorithms; research in this area can potentially yield promising results in addressing the scalability issues.

Genetic algorithms (GAs) are powerful search techniques based on principles of evolution and widely applied to solve problems in many disciplines. However, most GAs employed in practice nowadays are unable to learn genetic linkage and suffer from the linkage problem. The linkage learning genetic algorithm (LLGA) was proposed to tackle the linkage problem with several specially designed mechanisms. While the LLGA performs much better on badly scaled problems than simple GAs, it does not work well on uniformly scaled problems as other competent GAs. Therefore, we need to understand why it is so and need to know how to design a better LLGA or whether there are certain limits of such a linkage learning process. This book aims to gain better understanding of the LLGA in theory and to improve the LLGA's performance in practice. It starts with a survey of the existing genetic linkage learning techniques and describes the steps and approaches taken to tackle the research topics, including using promoters, developing the convergence time model, and adopting subchromosomes.

In recent years, the issue of linkage in GEAs has garnered greater attention and recognition from researchers. Conventional approaches that rely much on ad hoc tweaking of parameters to control the search by balancing the level of exploitation and exploration are grossly inadequate. As shown in the work reported here, such parameters tweaking based approaches have their limits; they can be easily fooled by cases of triviality or peculiarity of the class of problems that the algorithms are designed to handle. Furthermore, these approaches are usually blind to the interactions between the decision variables, thereby disrupting the partial solutions that are being built up along the way.

A Tender Voyage is the first full-length study of the history of childhood and children's lives in late imperial China. The author draws on an extraordinary range of sources to analyze both the normative concept of childhood - literary and philosophical - and the treatment and experience of children in China. The study begins with the history of pediatrics and newborn care and their evolution over time. The author moves on to the social environment of the child, including models of upbringing and expected behavior and the treatment of different kinds of children, including the rebellious and the gentle child. She examines the role of the mother, notably her close and complex relations with her sons, and the broader emotional world of children, their relationships with the adults around them, and the destructive power of death. The last section discusses concepts of childhood in China and the West. The study keeps in view throughout the issue of representation versus practice, the role of memory, and the importance of listening for what is not said.