<p>This thesis contains two parts. In the first part, which contains Chapter 2 and Chapter 3, we consider scheduling problems with learning effect and time-dependent processing time on a single machine. In Chapter 2, we investigate the earliness-tardiness objective, as well as the objective without due date assignment consideration. By reducing them to a special linear assignment problem, we solve them in near-linear time. As a consequence, we improve the time complexity for some previous algorithms for scheduling problems with learning effect and/or time-dependent processing time. In Chapter 3, we investigate the total number of tardy jobs objective. By reducing them to a linear assignment problem, we solve them in polynomial time. For some important special cases, where there is only learning effect OR time-dependent processing time, we reduce the time complexity to quadratic time. In the second part, which contains Chapter 4 and Chapter 5, we investigate the bicriteria scheduling problems in a supply chain. We separate the objectives in two parts, where the delivery cost is one of them. We present efficient algorithms to identify all the Pareto-optimal solutions for various scenarios. In Chapter 4, we study the cases without due date assignment; while in Chapter 5 we study the cases with due date assignment consideration.</p>

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T20:48:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Gerson Alves de Freitas Jr.pdf: 815407 bytes, checksum: 56e12a88b678dd692f6fae8381118ad9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-10-01 / The aim of this work is to revisit the debate surrounding the role of natural resources in economic development. This is an exploratory essay, which examines theses and stylized facts on the topic especially those that establish a negative relationship between natural resource endowment and economic growth in light of structural changes in the global economy and the rise in international primary product prices in the last decade. Its first conclusion is that there isn t any conclusive literary evidence of the so-called "resource curse," although some of the assumptions associated with it, such as the existence of a secular trend of decline in terms of the primary goods trade, have been proven true in the past century although, perhaps, not in the 21st century so far. The technical and economic characteristics of the current globalization process suggest, on the other hand, an increasing trend of dynamic natural resource markets, which may represent a window of opportunity for commodity-rich economies / O objetivo desse trabalho é revisitar o debate sobre o papel dos recursos naturais no desenvolvimento econômico. Trata-se de uma pesquisa exploratória, de caráter ensaístico, que analisa teses e fatos estilizados sobre o tema sobretudo aqueles que estabelecem uma relação negativa entre a dotação de recursos naturais e o crescimento econômico à luz das mudanças estruturais na economia mundial e à alta nos preços internacionais dos produtos primários na última década. Sua primeira conclusão é que não há, na literatura, trabalhos capazes de atestar de maneira conclusiva a maldição dos recursos naturais , embora alguns dos pressupostos a ela associados, tal como a existência de uma tendência secular de queda nos termos de troca dos produtos primários, tenham se mostrado verdadeiras no século passado ainda que não o sejam nesse curto começo do século 21. As características técnicas e econômicas do atual processo de globalização sugerem, pelo contrário, uma tendência crescente de dinamização dos mercados de recursos naturais, o que pode representar uma janela de oportunidades para economias ricas em produtos primários