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Reinsurance: Actuarial and Statistical Aspects provides a survey of both the academic literature in the field as well as challenges appearing in reinsurance practice and puts the two in perspective. The book is written for researchers with an interest in reinsurance problems, for graduate students with a basic knowledge of probability and statistics as well as for reinsurance practitioners. The focus of the book is on modelling together with the statistical challenges that go along with it. The discussed statistical approaches are illustrated alongside six case studies of insurance loss data sets, ranging from MTPL over fire to storm and flood loss data. Some of the presented material also contains new results that have not yet been published in the research literature. An extensive bibliography provides readers with links for further study.

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This title is written for the numerate nonspecialist, and hopes to serve three purposes. First it gathers mathematical material from diverse but related fields of order statistics, records, extreme value theory, majorization, regular variation and subexponentiality. All of these are relevant for understanding fat tails, but they are not, to our knowledge, brought together in a single source for the target readership. Proofs that give insight are included, but for most fussy calculations the reader is referred to the excellent sources referenced in the text. Multivariate extremes are not treated. This allows us to present material spread over hundreds of pages in specialist texts in twenty pages. Chapter 5 develops new material on heavy tail diagnostics and gives more mathematical detail. Since variances and covariances may not exist for heavy tailed joint distributions, Chapter 6 reviews dependence concepts for certain classes of heavy tailed joint distributions, with a view to regressing heavy tailed variables. Second, it presents a new measure of obesity. The most popular definitions in terms of regular variation and subexponentiality invoke putative properties that hold at infinity, and this complicates any empirical estimate. Each definition captures some but not all of the intuitions associated with tail heaviness. Chapter 5 studies two candidate indices of tail heaviness based on the tendency of the mean excess plot to collapse as data are aggregated. The probability that the largest value is more than twice the second largest has intuitive appeal but its estimator has very poor accuracy. The Obesity index is defined for a positive random variable X as: Ob(X) = P (X1 +X4 > X2 +X3|X1 ≤ X2 ≤ X3 ≤ X4), Xi independent copies of X. For empirical distributions, obesity is defined by bootstrapping. This index reasonably captures intuitions of tail heaviness. Among its properties, if α > 1 then Ob(X) < Ob(Xα). However, it does not completely mimic the tail index of regularly varying distributions, or the extreme value index. A Weibull distribution with shape 1/4 is more obese than a Pareto distribution with tail index 1, even though this Pareto has infinite mean and the Weibull’s moments are all finite. Chapter 5 explores properties of the Obesity index. Third and most important, we hope to convince the reader that fat tail phenomena pose real problems; they are really out there and they seriously challenge our usual ways of thinking about historical averages, outliers, trends, regression coefficients and confidence bounds among many other things. Data on flood insurance claims, crop loss claims, hospital discharge bills, precipitation and damages and fatalities from natural catastrophes drive this point home. While most fat tailed distributions are ”bad”, research in fat tails is one distribution whose tail will hopefully get fatter.

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This book provides an introduction to index numbers for statisticians, economists and numerate members of the public. It covers the essential basics, mixing theoretical aspects with practical techniques to give a balanced and accessible introduction to the subject. The concepts are illustrated by exploring the construction and use of the Consumer Prices Index which is arguably the most important of all official statistics in the UK. The book also considers current issues and developments in the field including the use of large-scale price transaction data. A Practical Introduction to Index Numbers will be the ideal accompaniment for students taking the index number components of the Royal Statistical Society Ordinary and Higher Certificate exams; it provides suggested routes through the book for students, and sets of exercises with solutions.

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A comprehensive guide to ranks and group theory Ranks of Groups features a logical, straightforward presentation, beginning with a succinct discussion of the standard ranks before moving on to specific aspects of ranks of groups. Topics covered include section ranks, groups of finite 0-rank, minimax rank, special rank, groups of finite section p-rank, groups having finite section p-rank for all primes p, groups of finite bounded section rank, groups whose abelian subgroups have finite rank, groups whose abelian subgroups have bounded finite rank, finitely generated groups having finite rank, residual properties of groups of finite rank, groups covered by normal subgroups of bounded finite rank, and theorems of Schur and Baer. This book presents fundamental concepts and notions related to the area of ranks in groups. Class-tested worldwide by highly qualified authors in the fields of abstract algebra and group theory, this book focuses on critical concepts with the most interesting, striking, and central results. In order to provide readers with the most useful techniques related to the various different ranks in a group, the authors have carefully examined hundreds of current research articles on group theory authored by researchers around the world, providing an up-to-date, comprehensive treatment of the subject. • All material has been thoroughly vetted and class-tested by well-known researchers who have worked in the area of rank conditions in groups • Topical coverage reflects the most modern, up-to-date research on ranks of groups • Features a unified point-of-view on the most important results in ranks obtained using various methods so as to illustrate the role those ranks play within group theory • Focuses on the tools and methods concerning ranks necessary to achieve significant progress in the study and clarification of the structure of groups Ranks of Groups: The Tools, Characteristics, and Restrictions is an excellent textbook for graduate courses in mathematics, featuring numerous exercises, whose solutions are provided. This book will be an indispensable resource for mathematicians and researchers specializing in group theory and abstract algebra. MARTYN R. DIXON, PhD, is Professor in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Alabama. LEONID A. KURDACHENKO, PhD, DrS, is Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Algebra at the University of Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine. IGOR YA SUBBOTIN, PhD, is Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at National University in Los Angeles, California.

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A detailed review of a wide range of meta-heuristic and evolutionary algorithms in a systematic manner and how they relate to engineering optimization problems This book introduces the main metaheuristic algorithms and their applications in optimization. It describes 20 leading meta-heuristic and evolutionary algorithms and presents discussions and assessments of their performance in solving optimization problems from several fields of engineering. The book features clear and concise principles and presents detailed descriptions of leading methods such as the pattern search (PS) algorithm, the genetic algorithm (GA), the simulated annealing (SA) algorithm, the Tabu search (TS) algorithm, the ant colony optimization (ACO), and the particle swarm optimization (PSO) technique. Chapter 1 of Meta-heuristic and Evolutionary Algorithms for Engineering Optimization provides an overview of optimization and defines it by presenting examples of optimization problems in different engineering domains. Chapter 2 presents an introduction to meta-heuristic and evolutionary algorithms and links them to engineering problems. Chapters 3 to 22 are each devoted to a separate algorithm— and they each start with a brief literature review of the development of the algorithm, and its applications to engineering problems. The principles, steps, and execution of the algorithms are described in detail, and a pseudo code of the algorithm is presented, which serves as a guideline for coding the algorithm to solve specific applications. This book: Introduces state-of-the-art metaheuristic algorithms and their applications to engineering optimization; Fills a gap in the current literature by compiling and explaining the various meta-heuristic and evolutionary algorithms in a clear and systematic manner; Provides a step-by-step presentation of each algorithm and guidelines for practical implementation and coding of algorithms; Discusses and assesses the performance of metaheuristic algorithms in multiple problems from many fields of engineering; Relates optimization algorithms to engineering problems employing a unifying approach. Meta-heuristic and Evolutionary Algorithms for Engineering Optimization is a reference intended for students, engineers, researchers, and instructors in the fields of industrial engineering, operations research, optimization/mathematics, engineering optimization, and computer science. OMID BOZORG-HADDAD, PhD, is Professor in the Department of Irrigation and Reclamation Engineering at the University of Tehran, Iran. MOHAMMAD SOLGI, M.Sc., is Teacher Assistant for M.Sc. courses at the University of Tehran, Iran. HUGO A. LOÁICIGA, PhD, is Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of California, Santa Barbara, United States of America.

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Earthquake Occurrence provides the reader with a review of algorithms applicable for modeling seismicity, such as short-term earthquake clustering and pseudo-periodic long-term behavior of major earthquakes. The concept of the likelihood ratio of a set of observations under different hypotheses is applied for comparison among various models. In short-term models, known by the term ETAS, the occurrence space and time rate density of earthquakes is modeled as the sum of two terms, one representing the independent or spontaneous events, and the other representing the activity triggered by previous earthquakes. Examples of the application of such algorithms in real cases are also reported. Dealing with long-term recurrence models, renewal time-dependent models, implying a pseudo-periodicity of earthquake occurrence, are compared with the simple time-independent Poisson model, in which every event occurs regardless of what has occurred in the past. The book also introduces a number of computer codes developed by the authors over decades of seismological research.

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A guide to the implementation and interpretation of Quantile Regression models This book explores the theory and numerous applications of quantile regression, offering empirical data analysis as well as the software tools to implement the methods. The main focus of this book is to provide the reader with a comprehensive description of the main issues concerning quantile regression; these include basic modeling, geometrical interpretation, estimation and inference for quantile regression, as well as issues on validity of the model, diagnostic tools. Each methodological aspect is explored and followed by applications using real data. Quantile Regression: Presents a complete treatment of quantile regression methods, including, estimation, inference issues and application of methods. Delivers a balance between methodolgy and application Offers an overview of the recent developments in the quantile regression framework and why to use quantile regression in a variety of areas such as economics, finance and computing. Features a supporting website (www.wiley.com/go/quantile_regression) hosting datasets along with R, Stata and SAS software code. Researchers and PhD students in the field of statistics, economics, econometrics, social and environmental science and chemistry will benefit from this book.

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“Degradation process” refers to many types of reliability models, which correspond to various kinds of stochastic processes used for deterioration modeling. This book focuses on the case of a univariate degradation model with a continuous set of possible outcomes. The envisioned univariate models have one single measurable quantity which is assumed to be observed over time. The first three chapters are each devoted to one degradation model. The last chapter illustrates the use of the previously described degradation models on some real data sets. For each of the degradation models, the authors provide probabilistic results and explore simulation tools for sample paths generation. Various estimation procedures are also developed.

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Branching processes are stochastic processes which represent the reproduction of particles, such as individuals within a population, and thereby model demographic stochasticity. In branching processes in random environment (BPREs), additional environmental stochasticity is incorporated, meaning that the conditions of reproduction may vary in a random fashion from one generation to the next. This book offers an introduction to the basics of BPREs and then presents the cases of critical and subcritical processes in detail, the latter dividing into weakly, intermediate, and strongly subcritical regimes.

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A logical problem-based introduction to the use of GeoGebra for mathematical modeling and problem solving within various areas of mathematics A well-organized guide to mathematical modeling techniques for evaluating and solving problems in the diverse field of mathematics, Mathematical Modeling: Applications with GeoGebra presents a unique approach to software applications in GeoGebra and WolframAlpha. The software is well suited for modeling problems in numerous areas of mathematics including algebra, symbolic algebra, dynamic geometry, three-dimensional geometry, and statistics. Featuring detailed information on how GeoGebra can be used as a guide to mathematical modeling, the book provides comprehensive modeling examples that correspond to different levels of mathematical experience, from simple linear relations to differential equations. Each chapter builds on the previous chapter with practical examples in order to illustrate the mathematical modeling skills necessary for problem solving. Addressing methods for evaluating models including relative error, correlation, square sum of errors, regression, and confidence interval, Mathematical Modeling: Applications with GeoGebra also includes: Over 400 diagrams and 300 GeoGebra examples with practical approaches to mathematical modeling that help the reader develop a full understanding of the content Numerous real-world exercises with solutions to help readers learn mathematical modeling techniques A companion website with GeoGebra constructions and screencasts Mathematical Modeling: Applications with GeoGebrais ideal for upper-undergraduate and graduate-level courses in mathematical modeling, applied mathematics, modeling and simulation, operations research, and optimization. The book is also an excellent reference for undergraduate and high school instructors in mathematics.

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