In this paper we construct thirteen different types of composite indices by linear combination of indicator variables (with and without outliers/data corruption). Weights of different indicator variables are obtained by maximization of the sum of squared (and, alternatively, absolute)...

Our objective in this paper is to compare the performance of the Differential Evolution (DE) and the Repulsive Particle Swarm (RPS) methods of global optimization. To this end, some relatively difficult test functions have been chosen. These functions are: Perm, Power-Sum, Bukin, Zero-Sum,...

Logarithmic spirals are abundantly observed in nature. Gastropods (such as nautilus, cowie, grove snail, thatcher, etc.) in the mollusca phylum have spiral shells, mostly exhibiting logarithmic spirals vividly. Spider webs show a similar pattern. The low-pressure area over Iceland and the...

In this paper we compare the performance of the Differential Evolution (DE) and the Repulsive Particle Swarm (RPS) methods of global optimization. To this end, seventy test functions have been chosen. Among these test functions, some are new while others are well known in the literature; some are...

Education is an important pillar in the national economic development. It contributes to economic growth in varied forms. The educational system in Eritrea shows all the symptoms of prolonged neglect under colonialism and war. But education plays a key role in the development after independence....

The classical canonical correlation analysis is extremely greedy to maximize the squared correlation between two sets of variables. As a result, if one of the variables in the dataset-1 is very highly correlated with another variable in the dataset-2, the canonical correlation will be very high...

Gender disparities in education raise many questions for governments and civil societies. There are many factors that contribute to the gender gap in education. In Eritrea, gender disparities persist in the enrolment rates between boys and girls at all levels. Gender inequality has become a...

Indian economy has been recording impressive growth rates since 1991. This can be partly attributed to the multi-sector structural reforms aimed at enhancing productivity, efficiency and international competitiveness of the economy. The reforms have been undertaken gradually with mutual consent...

Educational investment is an engine of economic development in Eritrea and thus financing education is like a blood to human body; while this is widely accepted, little empirical research has been conducted on the topic. This paper analyses patterns of educational finances in secondary education...

This article deals with the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic on poverty and education in Africa. It considers the scale and scope of the pandemic and its anticipated impact on education systems in heavily infected sub-Saharan African countries. It looks for lessons derived from twenty years of...