Marx's analysis of the falling rate of profit on the first version of volume III of capital

The paper provides a description and analysis of the Hodgskin section of Theories of Surplus Value and the general law section of the first version of Volume III of Capital. It then considers Part III of Volume III, the evolution of Marx's thought and various interpretations of his theory in the light of this analysis. It is suggested that Marx thought that the rate of profit must fall and even in the 1870s hoped to be able to provide a demonstration of this. However the main conclusions are: 1. Marx's major attempt to show that the rate of profit must fall occurred in the general law section. 2. Part III does not contain a demonstration that the rate of profit must fall. 3. Marx was never able to demonstrate that the rate of profit must fall and he was aware of this.

Elicited bid functions in (a)symmetric first-price auctions

We report on a series of experiments that examine bidding behavior in first-price sealed bid auctions with symmetric and asymmetric bidders. To study the extent of strategic behavior, we use an experimental design that elicits bidders' complete bid functions in each round (auction) of the experiment. In the aggregate, behavior is consistent with the basic equilibrium predictions for risk neutral or homogenous risk averse bidders (extent of bid shading, average seller's revenues and deviations from equilibrium). However, when we look at the extent of best reply behavior and the shape of bid functions, we find that individual behavior is not in line with the received equilibrium models, although it exhibits strategic sophistication.

Bidding at sequential first-price auctions with(out) supply uncertainty: a laboratory analysis

We report on a series of experiments that test the effects of an uncertain supply on the formation of bids and prices in sequential first-price auctions with private-independent values and unit-demands. Supply is assumed uncertain when buyers do not know the exact number of units to be sold (i.e., the length of the sequence). Although we observe a non-monotone behavior when supply is certain and an important overbidding, the data qualitatively support our price trend predictions and the risk neutral Nash equilibrium model of bidding for the last stage of a sequence, whether supply is certain or not. Our study shows that behavior in these markets changes significantly with the presence of an uncertain supply, and that it can be explained by assuming that bidders formulate pessimistic beliefs about the occurrence of another stage.

Structural inferences from first-price auction experiments

We use structural methods to assess equilibrium models of bidding with data from first-price auction experiments. We identify conditions to test the Nash equilibrium models for homogenous and for heterogeneous constant relative risk aversion when bidders private valuations are independent and uniformly drawn. The outcomes of our study indicate that behavior may have been affected by the procedure used to conduct the experiments and that the usual Nash equilibrium model for heterogeneous constant relative risk averse bidders does not consistently explain the observed overbidding. From an empirical standpoint, our analysis shows the possible drawbacks of overlooking the homogeneity hypothesis when testing symmetric equilibrium models of bidding and it puts in perspective the sensitivity of structural inferences to the available information.

Maltsiniotis's first conjecture for K1

We show that K1(E) of an exact category E agrees with K1(DE) of the associated triangulated derivator DE. More generally we show that K1(W) of a Waldhausen category W with cylinders and a saturated class of weak equivalences agrees with K1(DW) of the associated right pointed derivator DW.

Rational first integrals in the Darboux theory of integrability in Cn

"Vegeu el resum a l'inici del document del fitxer adjunt."

The Complete Information First. Price Auction or the Importance of Being Indivisible

Abstract Despite the popularity of auction theoretical thinking, it appears that no one has presented an elementary equilibrium analysis of the first-price sealed-bid auction mechanism under complete information. This paper aims to remedy that omission. We show that the existence of pure strategy undominated Nash equilibria requires that the bidding space is not "too divisible" (that is, a continuum). In fact, when bids must form part of a finite grid there always exists a "high price equilibrium". However, there might also be "low price equilibria" and when the bidding space is very restrictive the revenue obtained in these "low price equilibria" might be very low. We discuss the properties of the equilibria and an application of auction theoretical thinking in which "low price equilibria" may be relevant. Keywords: First-price auctions, undominated Nash equilibria. JEL Classification Numbers: C72 (Noncooperative Games), D44 (Auctions).

The economy of the Beijing Olympic Games: An analysis of first impacts and prospects

This paper was presented at the International Sport Business Symposium, held by the Capital University of Economics and Business in Beijing, in 2008. The speakers, Ferran Brunet, as a professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and Zuo Xinwen, as a member of Beijing Development and Reform Commission, both set out to analyze changes in the economic and social development of the city which were undertaken with the aim to celebrate the 2008 Olympic Games. They discuss aspects as a transformation in the mode of economic growth, resources of the Organizing Committee, investments related to the Games, transport and communications, industries, the balance of urban and rural development, urban construction and management service and operations into a well-off society.

Creation of a carrier-grade telco based on a voice over IP backbone

En aquesta memòria l'autor, fent servir un enfoc modern, redissenya i implementa la plataforma que una empresa de telecomunicacions del segle 21 necessita per poder donar serveis de telefonia i comunicacions als seus usuaris i clients. Al llarg d'aquesta exposició es condueix al lector des d'una fase inicial de disseny fins a la implementació i posada en producció del sistema final desenvolupat, centrant-nos en solucionar les necessitats actuals que això implica. Aquesta memòria cubreix el software, hardware i els processos de negoci associats al repte de fer realitat aquest objectiu, i presenta al lector les múltiples tecnologies emprades per aconseguir-ho, fent emfàsi en la convergència actual de xarxes cap al concepte de xarxes IP i basant-se en aquesta tendència i utilitzant aquesta tecnologia de veu sobre IP per donar forma a la plataforma que finalment, de forma pràctica, es posa en producció.

A first attempt of geographically-distributed Multi-scale integrated analysis of societal and ecosystem metabolism (MuSIASEM): mapping human time and energy throughput in metropolitan Barcelona

This study presents a first attempt to extend the “Multi-scale integrated analysis of societal and ecosystem metabolism (MuSIASEM)” approach to a spatial dimension using GIS techniques in the Metropolitan area of Barcelona. We use a combination of census and commercial databases along with a detailed land cover map to create a layer of Common Geographic Units that we populate with the local values of human time spent in different activities according to MuSIASEM hierarchical typology. In this way, we mapped the hours of available human time, in regards to the working hours spent in different locations, putting in evidence the gradients in spatial density between the residential location of workers (generating the work supply) and the places where the working hours are actually taking place. We found a strong three-modal pattern of clumps of areas with different combinations of values of time spent on household activities and on paid work. We also measured and mapped spatial segregation between these two activities and put forward the conjecture that this segregation increases with higher energy throughput, as the size of the functional units must be able to cope with the flow of exosomatic energy. Finally, we discuss the effectiveness of the approach by comparing our geographic representation of exosomatic throughput to the one issued from conventional methods.

When is the second local multiplier algebra of a C*-algebra equal to the first?

We discuss necessary as well as sufficient conditions for the second iterated local multiplier algebra of a separable C*-algebra to agree with the first.

The first steps of a secondary school teacher: experiences and studies of a student-teacher

This dissertation aims at fostering the professional development of the EFL teacher. This document compiles two small scale empirical studies carried out during the practicum periods of the TED's course. The first one is based on the role of the teacher's talk in the EFL classroom and the second one focuses on students’ small group talk, analysing the impact of cooperative learning in the EFL classroom by examining students' conversation. The following section gathers the teacher's personal reflections upon the process of professionalization. The paper concludes with a summary of the major findings and further professional improvement proposals

El foment de la creativitat i de l’esperit emprenedor en el context dels ECTS per a les assignatures de primer curs de la Diplomatura de Turisme de la UAB

El present Projecte de millora de la qualitat docent subvencionat pel Departament d’Universitats, Recerca i Societat de la Informació de la Generalitat de Catalunya dins del programa d’ajuts MQD-2006 convocades per l’AGAUR, s’ha desenvolupat amb els alumnes de primer de la Diplomatura de Turisme de l’Escola de Turisme i Direcció Hotelera (EUTDH) de la UAB durant el curs acadèmic 2006-2007, comptant amb la participació de l’equip docent així com amb la col·laboració i implicació directa de la direcció de l’escola. Aquest projecte parteix de la base que el desenvolupament de l’esperit emprenedor entre els estudiants és un pilar fonamental en la seva educació i preparació tant personal com professional per l’entrada amb èxit al mercat laboral. Així doncs, el fet que els estudiants mostrin més iniciativa individual així com més capacitat per buscar solucions als problemes d’una manera creativa i diferent, són aspectes bàsics d’aquest Projecte que preten, a llarg termini, repercutir en la societat, tot formant persones més emprenedores que aportin valor econòmic i social al sector turístic. Amb la finalitat d’assolir els objectius esmentats anteriorment es van realitzar una sèrie d’accions adreçades tant al professorat com a l’alumnat que portessin a canviar les actituds, comportaments i maneres de fer de la “metodologia docent tradicional”. En aquest sentit, s’han revisat les fitxes de les assignatures, tot adaptant les activitats existents o creant-ne de noves per tal de treballar les competències transversals relacionades amb el foment de l’esperit emprenedor. Tot i que aquests canvis són lents i difícils de mesurar, en general, s’ha pogut constatar com l’alumnat, en finalitzar el curs, mostra una major iniciativa, autonomía i independència i més capacitat per buscar solucions alternatives als problemes d’una manera creativa així com una actitud més favorable cap a la creació d’empreses que la que tenia al començament.

Does grade retention affect achievement? Some evidence from PISA

Grade retention practices are at the forefront of the educational debate. In this paper, we use PISA 2009 data for Spain to measure the effect of grade retention on students’ achievement. One important problem when analyzing this question is that school outcomes and the propensity to repeat a grade are likely to be determined simultaneously. We address this problem by estimating a Switching Regression Model. We …find that grade retention has a negative impact on educational outcomes, but we confi…rm the importance of endogenous selection, which makes observed differences between repeaters and non-repeaters appear 14.6% lower than they actually are. The effect on PISA scores of repeating is much smaller (-10% of non-repeaters’ average) than the counterfactual reduction that non-repeaters would suffer had they been retained as repeaters (-24% of their average). Furthermore, those who repeated a grade during primary education suffered more than those who repeated a grade of secondary school, although the effect of repeating at both times is, as expected, much larger.