Rational Theory Research Articles

A Tension in the Strong Program: The Relation between the Rational and the Social

ABSTRACT Advocating a sociological explanation of scientific knowledge, David Bloor protests against the adherents of the autonomy of knowledge; i.e., those who asymmetrically explain the credibility of theories in the history of science. These philosophers and historians regard the credibility of true and rational theories due to their proper reasons, while accounting for the acceptance of false or irrational beliefs by citing social causes. Bloor assumes that the credibility of all beliefs is socially influenced, and therefore considers all in need of sociological explanation. To substantiate this claim, he argues that all epistemic factors that are appealed to in explaining true or rational beliefs are really social. However, this argument aligns rational entities with social factors, and thus, undermines the ground of this division. Therefore, his prior complaint of the autonomy of knowledge would be invalidated. Hence, there is a conflict between Bloor’s objection to the asymmetrical explanation of scientific theories and his accounting of the social construction of epistemic reasons. In this paper, we reveal this concealed conflict and attempt to suggest ways to resolve it.

Inventory decision-making biases: a review and suggestions for future research

PurposeThe paper provides a comprehensive overview of the biases in inventory decisions, under the umbrella of behavioural operations, considering research findings that used experimental methods. Research in this field has gained traction but, to the best of our knowledge, review articles that summarize these research findings are scarce. Hence, there is a need to synthesize the anomalies and biases reported in inventory decision-making literature to gain a more integrated understanding.Design/methodology/approachThis study reviews themes relevant to inventory and behavioural operations management from the articles published in recognized top-tier journals during the period between 2000 and 2020 with an aim to build a classification framework. Further, using a systematic review procedure, the relevant research studies are divided into sub-sections and appropriate search strategies are adopted to pleat more information on inventory ordering biases.FindingsThis study presents a classification framework by highlighting the factors influencing the biases in inventory decisions and describes the effects of utility preferences on the decision-making behaviour. It highlights the inventory ordering pattern under unconventional settings and also for different supply chain settings. This systematic review helps in identifying the research gap and in giving directions for future researchers.Originality/valueThe study presents a systematic review and detailed analysis of the research in inventory decision making through a behavioural lens. The study shows a clear direction of progress over the years, and implies new directions for looking beyond placing orders and for moving towards a more integrated approach while making supply chain decisions. It will be useful for researchers and practitioners working on newsvendor decisions, supply chain contracts, behavioural economics, behavioural operations management, bounded rationality theory and experimental economics.

The Milnor-Moore theorem for L_infty algebras in rational homotopy theory

We give a construction of the universal enveloping A_infty algebra of a given L_infty algebra, alternative to the already existing versions. As applications, we derive a higher homotopy algebras version of the classical Milnor-Moore theorem. This proposes a new A_infty model for simply connected rational homotopy types, and uncovers a relationship between the higher order rational Whitehead products in homotopy groups and the Pontryagin-Massey products in the rational loop space homology algebra.

Algebraic invariants of orbit configuration spaces in genus zero associated to finite groups

We consider orbit configuration spaces associated to finite groups acting freely by orientation preserving homeomorphisms on the 2-sphere minus a finite number of points (eventually none). We compute the cohomology ring and the Poincaré series of these spaces. This generalizes the work of V. Arnold for “classical” configuration spaces of points of the plane. The results imply that the spaces we consider are formal in the sense of rational homotopy theory. We also prove the existence of an LCS formula relating the Poincaré series of such spaces to the ranks of quotients of successive terms of the lower central series of their fundamental group. Such formula is known for the spaces studied by V. Arnold, where fundamental groups are Artin pure braid groups.

Strategi dalam Menciptakan Falah dengan Pendekatan Rasionalitas Ekonomi Ibnu Thufail: Telaah Kitab Hayy bin Yaqzan

In the middle ages, the renaissance became the starting point for human awakening as a creature free from the constraints of tradition, culture and religion. The theory of rationality is more dominant or commonly called secularism, which separates religion and reason. This concept impacts on the principle that reason has no authority over revelation. So that the human condition in realizing welfare always justifies all means, unconsciously it has made damage to natural resources which has an impact on scarcity of goods (scharcity). By using a descriptive analytic method and a qualitative approach that analyzes the book "Hayy bin Yaqzan" by Ibn Thufail's masterpiece, which combines reason and religion. Finally, this article presents several concepts of economic rationality which are believed to be capable of creating equality. Some of the principles outlined in the book are the principles of ta'awun in utilizing natural resources, adaptive and creative as well as the support of good science and technology. Apart from that, he also provides strategies in creating welfare that can only be achieved by practicing the value of economic rationality by measuring the level of efficiency in fulfilling satisfaction without neglecting the balance of the surrounding nature.

A survey of semisimple algebras in algebraic combinatorics

This is a survey of semisimple algebras of current interest in algebraic combinatorics, with a focus on questions which we feel will be new and interesting to experts in group algebras, integral representation theory, and computational algebra. The algebras arise primarily in two families: coherent algebras and subconstituent (aka. Terwilliger) algebras. Coherent algebras are subalgebras of full matrix algebras having a basis of 01-matrices satisfying the conditions that it be transpose-closed, sum to the all 1’s matrix, and contain a subset \(\Delta \) that sums to the identity matrix. The special case when \(\Delta \) is a singleton is the important case of an adjacency algebra of a finite association scheme. A Terwilliger algebra is a semisimple extension of a coherent algebra by a set of diagonal 01-matrices determined canonically from its basis elements and a choice of row. We will survey the current state of knowledge of the complex, real, rational, modular, and integral representation theory of these semisimple algebras, indicate their connections with other areas of mathematics, and present several open questions.

Asymmetric Attention

We document that the expectations of households, firms, and professional forecasters in standard surveys simultaneously extrapolate from recent events and underreact to new information. Existing models of expectation formation, whether behavioral or rational, cannot account for these observations. We develop a rational theory of extrapolation based on limited attention, which is consistent with this evidence. In particular, we show that limited, asymmetric attention to procyclical variables can explain the coexistence of extrapolation and underreactions. We illustrate these mechanisms in a microfounded macroeconomic model, which generates expectations consistent with the survey data, and show that asymmetric attention increases business cycle fluctuations. (JEL C53, D83, D84, E23, E27, E32)

Optimal attention and heterogeneous precautionary saving behavior

This paper applies rational inattention theory proposed by Sims (2003) to study a puzzling empirical fact that wealthier individuals have a stronger precautionary saving motive. In the model, consumers face uninsured capital income risk but suffer from an information-processing capacity constraint. I solve for the optimal attention and consumption choices analytically in a Gaussian framework. I find that consumers with more initial wealth pay less attention to the capital income risk. As a result, wealthier consumers have higher perceived uncertainty about their future capital income and display a stronger precautionary motive by saving at higher rates.

Rational homotopy theory methods in graph theory

Rational homotopy theory methods in graph theory

Rational homotopy equivalences and singular chains

Bousfield and Kan's $\mathbb{Q}$-completion and fiberwise $\mathbb{Q}$-completion of spaces lead to two different approaches to the rational homotopy theory of non-simply connected spaces. In the first approach, a map is a weak equivalence if it induces an isomorphism on rational homology. In the second, a map of connected and pointed spaces is a weak equivalence if it induces an isomorphism between fundamental groups and higher rationalized homotopy groups; we call these maps $\pi_1$-rational homotopy equivalences. In this paper, we compare these two notions and show that $\pi_1$-rational homotopy equivalences correspond to maps that induce $\Omega$-quasi-isomorphisms on the rational singular chains, i.e. maps that induce a quasi-isomorphism after applying the cobar functor to the dg coassociative coalgebra of rational singular chains. This implies that both notions of rational homotopy equivalence can be deduced from the rational singular chains by using different algebraic notions of weak equivalences: quasi-isomorphism and $\Omega$-quasi-isomorphisms. We further show that, in the second approach, there are no dg coalgebra models of the chains that are both strictly cocommutative and coassociative.

Causal Attribution and Emotion Expression of Suffering Among Southeast Asian Indigenous Peoples: A Systematic Review Study

Indigenous people, particularly minorities in Southeast Asia (SEA), often face hardships due to colonization, displacement, and deforestation. However, studies on their subjective suffering experiences are sparse. Therefore, the present study aimed to conduct a systemic review of literature concerning SEA indigenous people’s cognition and emotion in suffering events. A rigorous literature search following PRISMA guidelines was conducted on the following databases–Scopus, EbscoHost, Ovid (PsychArticles and PsycInfo), Proquest. Embase, Ovid Medline, and Google Scholar using keyword categories for “SEA,” “cognition” or “emotion,” and “suffering events.” The initial search resulted in 6,383 articles, but only 11 empirical studies (containing qualitative or quantitative original data) were included after careful screening. Next, a thematic synthesis method was used to summarize the findings. Two themes of causal attribution of suffering were identified—supernatural reasons and negative impact of interactions with outsiders. Four themes of emotional expression of suffering were identified—physical actions and gestures, communal practices, somatic symptoms, and behavior adaptations. Our findings correspond with the ecological rationality theory, where indigenous people still function as strong-ties societies that capitalize on external-oriented mental strategies and cognitive styles. The identification of unique forms of cognition and modes of emotional expression holds implications toward building an equitable humanistic psychology.

Homotopy invariants and almost non-negative curvature

This paper explores the relation between the structure of fibre bundles akin to those associated to a closed almost nonnegatively sectionally curved manifold and rational homotopy theory.

Studies in Ecological Rationality.

Ecological rationality represents an alternative to classic frameworks of rationality. Extending on Herbert Simon's concept of bounded rationality, it holds that cognitive processes, including simple heuristics, are not per se rational or irrational, but that their success rests on their degree of fit to relevant environmental structures. The key is therefore to understand how cognitive and environmental structures slot together. In recent years, a growing set of analyses of heuristic-environment systems has deepened the understanding of the human mind and how boundedly rational heuristics can result in successful decision making. This article is concerned with three conceptual challenges in the study of ecological rationality. First, do heuristics also succeed in dynamic contexts involving competitive agents? Second, can the mind adapt to environmental structures via an unsupervised learning process? Third, how can research go beyond mere descriptions of environmental structures to develop theories of the mechanisms that give rise to those structures? In addressing these questions, we illustrate that a successful theory of rationality will focus on the adaptive aspects of the mind and will need to account for three components: the mind's information processing, the environment to which the mind adapts, and the intersection between the environment and the mind.

Option Pricing with Greed and Fear Factor: The Rational Finance Approach

In this article, we explain main concepts of prospect theory and cumulative prospect theory within the rational dynamic asset pricing framework. We derive option pricing formulas when asset returns are altered by a generalized prospect theory value function or a modified Prelec’s weighting probability function. We introduce new parametric classes for prospect theory value functions and probability weighting functions consistent with rational dynamic pricing theory. After studying the behavioral finance notion of “greed and fear” from the perspective of rational dynamic asset pricing theory, we derive the corresponding option pricing formulas when asset returns follow continuous diffusions or discrete binomial trees. We define a mixed subordinated variance gamma process to model asset return and derive the corresponding option pricing formula. Finally, we apply the proposed probability weighting functions to study the greedy or fearful disposition of option traders when asset returns follow a mixed subordinated variance gamma process. The results indicate availability bias and diminishing sensitivity of option traders.

New correlations for heat transfer in parallel-plate ducts at low Peclet number

Calculations of heat transfer in duct flows generally neglect the effect of axial heat conduction within the fluid. However, in some situations, this effect must be taken into account. The decision on whether or not to consider this phenomenon is driven by the value of the Peclet number. A low value, with 100 commonly considered the threshold, indicates that axial conduction, i.e., conduction parallel to the flow, should be accounted for in the calculations. Microfluidic devices, systems using liquid metal coolant or microchannel heat exchangers are some examples of applications where low Peclet flow conditions may be encountered. While exact analytical solutions exist for such cases, they are often impractical to use for common engineering design purposes due to their mathematical complexity. The present work proposes three new correlations for the estimation of the fully developed Nusselt number, thermal entry length and local Nusselt number in the entrance region of a laminar flow within a parallel-plate duct with constant wall temperature. These correlations allow the simple and accurate evaluation of useful engineering quantities, thus avoiding lengthy and complex calculations. They were developed using rational approximation theory and are effective on a wide range of Peclet numbers and axial coordinates. Accuracy of under 1% relative error is achieved with each of the three correlations when results are compared against exact analytical series solution values.

Complexities of drought adaptive behaviour: Linking theory to data on smallholder farmer adaptation decisions

Smallholder farmers in semi-arid regions continuously face drought risk, leading to recurring crop damage, income loss and food insecurity, and they are taking adaptive measures to cope with this risk. By comparing and combining empirical data and existing behavioural theories, we studied the complexity of smallholder farmers' adaptive behaviour in Kitui, Kenya. We conducted interviews with key informants, a survey of disaster managers and an extensive questionnaire and choice experiment among local smallholders, and found that mistrust in forecasting and a strong belief in God appeared to be barriers to adaptation, while farm groups and past adaptation decisions seemed to stimulate the intention to adopt new measures. Our results confirmed the importance of several components of existing bounded rational theories in that risk appraisal, social norm, self-efficacy and response cost and efficacy significantly influence adaptive behaviour under drought risk. However, none of the evaluate theories could fully explain the observed behaviour. We further demonstrated that tailored extension services, improved early warning systems, ex-ante cash aid and low interest credit schemes increase the intention to adapt. While a general aversion to the current situation was evident, there was great heterogeneity in the preferences for these policies. Findings of this the extensive data collection and analysis can be used to identify the most vulnerable groups and develop well-targeted adaptation policies, and for designing, calibrating and validating of utility functions to model heterogeneous adjustment decisions in dynamic drought risk models.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown on Food Intake in Nigeria

The outbreak of COVID-19 and the policy measures to halt its spread have undoubtedly changed the way consumers make food consumption and their overall livelihood choices globally. This study analysed the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown on household food intake in Nigeria. The study shows that the lockdown had a negative effect on food intake. The overall effects of the lockdown showed that 86% of the sampled respondents were greatly affected. Result showed that 51% of the respondents had their food intake declined because there was not enough food due to closure of markets, movement restrictions and paucity of funds. There was price increase and expenditures on basic food items increased. The study observed rationality theory in consumers as many people stockpiled foods items before the total lockdown, and some used personal savings to smooth consumption. The palliatives provided by the government did not get to many people especially the vulnerable. The study therefore, suggests that government should ensure equitable distribution of palliatives to support the stockpiled food items by the consumers.

Estimating the Willingness to Pay for Voting when Absentee Voting is not Allowed

AbstractObjectivesThe existing studies based on the rational voter theory analyze voter turnout as the aggregate of individuals' binary choice of to vote or not to vote. However, when people need to travel to vote, the cost associated with different transportation modes directly affects their voting decisions. We thus generalize the rational voter theory by taking an individual's specific choice of transportation mode into account.MethodsWe show that our proposed discrete choice model can be estimated via the approach of Berry, Levinsohn, and Pakes (1995) (henceforth, BLP). We then use transportation and census data to analyze voters' behavior in Taiwan where absentee voting is not allowed.ResultsAs compared to the observed 30.14 percent turnout rates of travel‐to‐vote electorates in Taiwan's 2014 local elections, the counterfactual simulations herein suggest that the turnout rates would be 61.77 percent if absentee voting were to be allowed.ConclusionThe BLP method allows us to estimate a generalized rational voter model accounting for the transportation mode choice.

Entanglement barriers in dual-unitary circuits

After quantum quenches in many-body systems, finite subsystems evolve nontrivially in time, eventually approaching a stationary state. In typical situations, the reduced density matrix of a given subsystem begins and ends this endeavor as a low-entangled vector in the space of operators. This means that if its entanglement in the operator space initially grows (which is generically the case), it must eventually decrease, describing a barrier-shaped curve. Understanding the shape of this ``entanglement barrier'' is interesting for three main reasons: (i) it quantifies the dynamics of entanglement in the (open) subsystem; (ii) it gives information on the approximability of the reduced density matrix by means of matrix product operators; and (iii) it shows qualitative differences depending on the type of dynamics undergone by the system, signaling quantum chaos. Here we compute exactly the shape of the entanglement barriers described by different R\'enyi entropies after quantum quenches in dual-unitary circuits initialized in a class of solvable matrix product states (MPS)s. We show that, for free (SWAP-like) circuits, the entanglement entropy behaves as in rational conformal field theories (CFT)s. On the other hand, for completely chaotic dual-unitary circuits, it behaves as in holographic CFTs, exhibiting a longer entanglement barrier that drops rapidly when the subsystem thermalizes. Interestingly, the entanglement spectrum is nontrivial in the completely chaotic case. Higher R\'enyi entropies behave in an increasingly similar way to rational CFTs, such that the free and completely chaotic barriers are identical in the limit of infinite replicas (i.e., for the so called min-entropy). We also show that, upon increasing the bond dimension of the MPSs, the barrier maintains the same shape. It simply shifts to the left to accommodate for the larger initial entanglement.

Goodwillie Approximations to Higher Categories

We construct a Goodwillie tower of categories which interpolates between the category of pointed spaces and the category of spectra. This tower of categories refines the Goodwillie tower of the identity functor in a precise sense. More generally, we construct such a tower for a large class of∞\infty-categoriesC\mathcal {C}and classify such Goodwillie towers in terms of the derivatives of the identity functor ofC\mathcal {C}. As a particular application we show how this provides a model for the homotopy theory of simply-connected spaces in terms of coalgebras in spectra with Tate diagonals. Our classification of Goodwillie towers simplifies considerably in settings where the Tate cohomology of the symmetric groups vanishes. As an example we apply our methods to rational homotopy theory. Another application identifies the homotopy theory ofpp-local spaces with homotopy groups in a certain finite range with the homotopy theory of certain algebras over Ching’s spectral version of the Lie operad. This is a close analogue of Quillen’s results on rational homotopy.