Uncertainty Analysis for Computer Model Projections of Hurricane Losses

Projecting losses associated with hurricanes is a complex and difficult undertaking that is wrought with uncertainties. Hurricane Charley, which struck southwest Florida on August 13, 2004, illustrates the uncertainty of forecasting damages from these storms. Due to shifts in the track and the rapid intensification of the storm, real-time estimates grew from 2 to 3 billion dollars in losses late on August 12 to a peak of 50 billion dollars for a brief time as the storm appeared to be headed for the Tampa Bay area. The storm hit the resort areas of Charlotte Harbor near Punta Gorda and then went on to Orlando in the central part of the state, with early poststorm estimates converging on a damage estimate in the 28 to 31 billion dollars range. Comparable damage to central Florida had not been seen since Hurricane Donna in 1960. The Florida Commission on Hurricane Loss Projection Methodology (FCHLPM) has recognized the role of computer models in projecting losses from hurricanes. The FCHLPM established a professional team to perform onsite (confidential) audits of computer models developed by several different companies in the United States that seek to have their models approved for use in insurance rate filings in Florida. The team's members represent the fields of actuarial science, computer science, meteorology, statistics, and wind and structural engineering. An important part of the auditing process requires uncertainty and sensitivity analyses to be performed with the applicant's proprietary model. To influence future such analyses, an uncertainty and sensitivity analysis has been completed for loss projections arising from use of a Holland B parameter hurricane wind field model. Uncertainty analysis quantifies the expected percentage reduction in the uncertainty of wind speed and loss that is attributable to each of the input variables.     

基于需求不确定性的供应链库存控制研究

通过建立需求不确定性环境下供应链成员的独立存货成本模型,运用模拟退火法对该模型进行52周的仿真,求解存货最佳订购数量与最佳再订购点,从而比较出不同存货控制策略的供应链存货总成本及订单满足率的差异。     

Human Salmonellosis: Estimation of Dose-Illness from Outbreak Data

The quantification of the relationship between the amount of microbial organisms ingested and a specific outcome such as infection, illness, or mortality is a key aspect of quantitative risk assessment. A main problem in determining such dose-response models is the availability of appropriate data. Human feeding trials have been criticized because only young healthy volunteers are selected to participate and low doses, as often occurring in real life, are typically not considered. Epidemiological outbreak data are considered to be more valuable, but are more subject to data uncertainty. In this article, we model the dose-illness relationship based on data of 20 Salmonella outbreaks, as discussed by the World Health Organization. In particular, we model the dose-illness relationship using generalized linear mixed models and fractional polynomials of dose. The fractional polynomial models are modified to satisfy the properties of different types of dose-illness models as proposed by Teunis et al . Within these models, differences in host susceptibility (susceptible versus normal population) are modeled as fixed effects whereas differences in serovar type and food matrix are modeled as random effects. In addition, two bootstrap procedures are presented. A first procedure accounts for stochastic variability whereas a second procedure accounts for both stochastic variability and data uncertainty. The analyses indicate that the susceptible population has a higher probability of illness at low dose levels when the combination pathogen-food matrix is extremely virulent and at high dose levels when the combination is less virulent. Furthermore, the analyses suggest that immunity exists in the normal population but not in the susceptible population.     

Ordinal utility models of decision making under uncertainty

This paper studies two models of rational behavior under uncertainty whose predictions are invariant under ordinal transformations of utility. The quantile utility model assumes that the agent maximizes some quantile of the distribution of utility. The utility mass model assumes maximization of the probability of obtaining an outcome whose utility is higher than some fixed critical value. Both models satisfy weak stochastic dominance. Lexicographic refinements satisfy strong dominance.The study of these utility models suggests a significant generalization of traditional ideas of riskiness and risk preference. We define one action to be riskier than another if the utility distribution of the latter crosses that of the former from below. The single crossing property is equivalent to a minmax spread of a random variable. With relative risk defined by the single crossing criterion, the risk preference of a quantile utility maximizer increases with the utility distribution quantile that he maximizes. The risk preference of a utility mass maximizer increases with his critical utility value.     

产品质量差异与需求不确定双因素下的双渠道供应链分销策略选择

在考虑产品质量差异与需求不确定双因素影响的基础上,通过构建垂直Nash定价与库存联合博弈模型,研究当线上与线下双渠道销售特定异质产品时,供应链成员如何根据不同的产品类型选择最优分销策略以实现双渠道供应链的共赢。研究结果表明:对于质量差异化低且需求不确定性低的产品类型,供应链成员的共赢分销策略是在线下渠道销售低质量产品并在线上渠道销售高质量产品;对于质量差异化低且需求不确定性高的产品类型,共赢分销策略是在线下销售高质量产品并在线上销售低质量产品;当制造商采用“做坏品”质量差异化策略时,产品类型和分销策略之间的最佳匹配依然保持稳健。     

Economics of Radiation Protection: Equity Considerations

In order to implement cost-benefit analysis of protective actions to reduce radiological exposures, one needs to attribute a monetary value to the avoided exposure. Recently, the International Commission on Radiological Protection has stressed the need to take into consideration not only the collective exposure to ionising radiation but also its dispersion in the population. In this paper, by using some well known and some recent results in the economics of uncertainty, we discuss how to integrate these recommendations in the valuation of the benefit of protection.     

Comparative probability for conditional events: A new look through coherence

We study, from the standpoint of coherence, comparative probabilities on an arbitrary familyE of conditional events. Given a binary relation ·, coherence conditions on · are related to de Finetti's coherent betting system: we consider their connections to the usual properties of comparative probability and to the possibility of numerical representations of ·. In this context, the numerical reference frame is that of de Finetti's coherent subjective conditional probability, which is not introduced (as in Kolmogoroff's approach) through a ratio between probability measures.Another relevant feature of our approach is that the family & need not have any particular algebraic structure, so that the ordering can be initially given for a few conditional events of interest and then possibly extended by a step-by-step procedure, preserving coherence.     

Bertrand竞争下融资策略与产品差异化策略的博弈分析

融资策略与产品差异化策略是企业两大重要的决策.本文通过构造一个纵向产品差异化的三阶段动态博弈模型,研究了不确定环境下,企业债务融资对产品差异化策略和定价策略的影响,并与不存在债务策略下的均衡结果进行了比较.研究表明,负债情形下,企业的均衡质量和均衡价格均高于无负债下的质量和价格,产品纵向差异度低于无负债下的差异度,且负债水平越高,企业的均衡质量、均衡价格和均衡利润越高,企业间的产品纵向差异度也越高.     

房地产投资的实物期权理论研究回顾与述评

笔者以为:房地产投资的实物期权理论研究从研究范围来看可分为增量房与存量房两大层次;从历史角度来看:自1985年以来,相关研究大致经历了一个从只关注客观变量的传统视角到更多关注主观性变量的现代视角的转变过程.基于此,本文对以往研究作了系统性的回顾、梳理与评论.指出决策的灵活性是把握该领域内研究脉络的一个主线.最后,本文指出了以往研究的局限性并对其发展方向作了展望.     

民族预科学生的素质特点分析

民族预科教育是我国高等教育的一个特殊层次,民族预科学生是我国高等教育的一个特殊对象。与直录大学生相比,民族预科学生的特殊性主要表现在两个方面：其一,民族预科学生身份上的游离性或不确定性,即介于中学生与呋学生之间。其二,民族预科学生存在着不同程度上的自卑心理,存在着或深或浅的情绪低落现象。两者密切相关,即身份上不确定性导致自卑心理和低落情绪的产生。此种素质特点对其学习心理和学习目的有特别重要的影响。