We propose a novel portfolio selection approach that manages to ease some of the problems that characterise standard expected utility maximisation. The optimal portfolio is no longer defined as the extremum of a suitably chosen utility function: the latter, instead, is reinterpreted as the...

We build a 4-equation model of the inflation process in South Africa (which has recently adopted inflation targeting), including the exchange rate, consumer prices, producer price, and import prices. This provides useful information on the speed and extent of exchange rate pass- through, and...

Inflation is a far from homogeneous phenomenon, but this fact is ignored in most work on consumer price inflation. Using a novel methodology grounded in theory, the ten sub-components of the consumer price index (excluding mortgage interest rates, or CPIX) for South Africa are modeled separately...

This paper describes a new method for assigning letter grades to students based on their raw scores, which I call Multi-Curve Grading (MCG). The intuition behind the method is that a class can be composed of several different subgroups, each of which should be assigned a different grade. In...

In the Universe of Development Economics, Social Development is represented by Endogenous Circle linking Domestic Technology with Domestic Human Potential (Technical Infrastructure) & Economic Development is represented by Exogenous Circle linking Domestic Investment with Domestic Saving...

This paper presents new results of mathematical modeling of economy and environment interaction. A model of mutual interaction of livestock farming - one in a two main agricultural branches - and natural pastures that are the essential part of livestock farming forage reserve is proposed....

The current population in the World has grown beyond the Break-even level of the food supplies, water, clothing and shelter. Techno- commercial systems are also within the utility of developed nations, but beyond the infrastructure and mental orientation of the Developing and Under Developed...

We consider a deterministically trending dynamic time series model in which multiple changes in level, trend and error variance are modeled explicitly and the number but not the timing of the changes are known. Estimation of the model is made possible by the use of the Gibbs sampler. The...

This paper investigates the main sources of instability in Brazil during the currency and financial distress episode of 2002. We test for financial contagion from the Argentine crisis and the impact of factors including IMF intervention and political uncertainty in raising the probability of...

In this paper we consider bayesian semiparametric regression within the generalized linear model framework. Specifically, we study a class of autoregressive time series where the time trend is incorporated in a nonparametrically way. Estimation and inference where performed through Markov Chain...