This work considers the problem faced by a decision maker (planner) trying to optimize over incomplete data. The missing data is privately held by agents whose objectives are dierent from the planner's, and who can falsely report it in order to advance their objectives. The goal is to design optimization mechanisms (algorithms) that achieve "good" results when agents' reports follow a game-theoretic equilibrium. In the first part of this work, the goal is to design mechanisms that provide a small worst-case approximation ratio (guarantee a large fraction of the optimal value in all instances) at equilibrium. The emphasis is on strategyproof mechanisms|where truthfulness is a dominant strategy equilibrium|and on the approximation ratio at that equilibrium. Two problems are considered|variants of knapsack and facility location problems. In the knapsack problem, items are privately owned by agents, who can hide items or report fake ones; each agent's utility equals the total value of their own items included in the knapsack, while the planner wishes to choose the items that maximize the sum of utilities. In the facility location problem, agents have private linear single sinked/peaked preferences regarding the location of a facility on an interval, while the planner wishes to locate the facility in a way that maximizes one of several objectives. A variety of mechanisms and lower bounds are provided for these problems. The second part of this work explores the problem of reassigning students to schools. Students have privately known preferences over the schools. After an initial assignment is made, the students' preferences change, get reported again, and a reassignment must be obtained. The goal is to design a reassignment mechanism that incentivizes truthfulness, provides high student welfare, transfers relatively few students from their initial assignment, and respects student priorities at schools. The class of mechanisms considered is permuted lottery deferred acceptance (PLDA) mechanisms, which is a natural class of mechanisms based on permuting the lottery numbers students initially draw to decide the initial assignment. Both theoretical and experimental evidence is provided to support the use of a PLDA mechanism called reversed lottery deferred acceptance (RLDA). The evidence suggests that under some conditions, all PLDA mechanisms generate roughly equal welfare, and that RLDA minimizes transfers among PLDA mechanisms.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of New South Wales, 2000. / Also available online.

Zugl.: Linz, Univ., Diss., 2008.

Zugl.: Linz, Univ., Diss., 2008.

M.Com. (Financial Management) / In this study, the extent to which performance persistence exists within the scope of South African collective investment schemes was analysed. In addition, the current practices of financial planners were investigated to establish whether or not financial planners use past performance as a criterion for recommending specific investment funds to investors. In other words, the extent to which financial planners are justified in using past performance as a criterion for fund selection was investigated. The study is exploratory in nature and is comprised of two phases, both of a quantitative nature. During Phase A, secondary data relating to the historical returns of South African collective investment schemes was collected to determine the extent of performance persistence over a one- and three-year period respectively. During Phase B, a cross-sectional survey was conducted to determine the practices of financial planners when advising investors on fund selection decisions. The findings revealed that performance persistence does not exist to the extent that past performance is an indicator of future performance. Financial planners, however, tend to utilise past performance as the main criterion for recommending specific collective investment schemes to investors.

No description available.

This research project explores the professional ideology of planners in a new industrialized setting - Taipei,Taiwan. This study seeks to establish whether urban planners in a newly industrializing country (NIC) exhibit consistent sets of values, attitudes and role orientations that parallel those of Western planners. In addition, in an authoritarian party-state such as Taiwan, planning is a top-down process. Development goals are set at the top of the political bureaucracy; therefore, plans are formulated to meet predesigned objectives, especially in terms of economic development. Since economic growth is seen by some as a legitimation device for the existing authoritarian regime in Taiwan, the role of planning vis a vis the partnership between the state and capitalists is worth examining. The data used in this study are drawn from questionnaire surveys of public-sector urban planners working in Taipei city. The survey was conducted between May and August 1988. The sample size of 128 planners was determined based on estimates provided by each departmental head within Taipei Municipal Government. An overall response rate of 69%, and a valid response rate of 66% was achieved. A prominent pattern that emerged in examining the results of the survey is the strong rational and apolitical orientation of Taipei's planners. The pervasiveness of rational and apolitical leanings among planners is partly a reflection of an authoritarian state the protects its own legitimacy while promoting economic development. The prevalence of apolitical attitudes among planners in top-down decision making environments exacerbates difficulties in the implementation of plans and programs. Hence, planners working with implementation units, and carrying out plans formulated by planning units are more cognizant of the importance of public participation. In addition, they are more skeptical about planning activities in Taipei city than their counterparts working in planning units. In conclusion, it is suggested that although most planners believe in the apolitical and rational nature of planning, planners with formal planning educations tend to recognize the inherently political nature of planning to a greater extent than those without planning educations. Since planning education is obviously one of the determinants in shaping the role and value orientations of planners, especially with respect to their recognition of political influences, planning curricula that better focus on those aspects may be emphasized. / Master of Urban Affairs

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1981. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. / Bibliography: leaves 487-496. / by Carlos E. Domínguez. / Ph.D.

This thesis maintains that, far from being politically impartial bodies, as professional associations might suggest, professions as a whole are resolutely influenced in their activities by the political will of the times. At the beginning of the third millennium, this ???will??? is described as neocorporatism, an ideology based on corporate structure and third sector co-governance. The research highlights the interrelationships between professions and ideology. A case study of the Canadian Institute of Planners - CIP - demonstrates how this neocorporatist philosophy is having an impact on its power and legitimacy and, ultimately, its effect within Canadian society. An historical review demonstrates how the Canadian Institute of Planners has reacted to and reflected state ideology throughout its history. It is clear that the organisation has been in a submissive relationship with the state until recently, where we see the balance of power starting to shift. The CIP is currently reorganising itself to better integrate with the state and improve its government relations. Documentation tracks the CIP???s participation in national policy processes and shows that it is, in fact, becoming significantly more involved in policy-making through various federal government consultation and partnership initiatives. The Canadian Institute of Planners seems to rely solely on practical conjecture to inform its operational choices. My hermeneutical discourse analysis uses existing theory and empirical information to advance our understanding of the CIP and by implication, professions in general. This enlightenment can help direct the organisation???s strategy within the neocorporate state apparatus and, ultimately, enable it to gain power, legitimacy and greater influence within Canada???s policy- and decision-making spheres.