Search results

Rewards from sales promotions may be either immediate (e.g. instant savings, coupons, instant rebates) or delayed (e.g. rebates, refunds). The latter type is of interest in this study. The purpose of this paper is to present the hyperbolic discounting framework as an explanation for how consumers delay‐discount rewards, and test whether this holds for both high‐price and low‐price product categories.

Data were collected by administering two online surveys to respondents. One survey presented choice scenarios between sales promotion formats for a high‐priced product (a laptop, n=154) and the other for a low‐priced product (a cell phone, n=98). Hyperbolic and exponential functions were then fitted to the data.

The hyperbolic function had a better fit than the exponential function for the low‐priced product. However, this effect was not evident in the case of the high‐priced product; no significant difference was found between the functions. The rate of discounting was greater for the high‐priced product than for the low‐priced product. Thus, for low‐priced products, rather than discount a reward rationally, consumers tend to discount the value of the reward at a decreasing rate.

This study addresses delay discounting in the context of a typical consumer buying situation. It also addresses the possibility of consumers applying different forms of discounting to products at different price levels and tests for the same. The results are of considerable significance for marketers wishing to offer price discounts to consumers. For low‐priced products, marketers seem to have more flexibility in delaying the reward, since the rate of discounting decreases for longer delay periods. At the same time, the discount rate for high‐priced products is higher than that for low‐priced products, hence delay periods may have a more critical role as discounted values fall steeply with an increase in delay to reward.

Presents a fast numerical method for computing the lowest degree moments of the exponential function for a segment, square or cubic domain. An exponential function with the argument a multivariate polynomial with a maximum degree of one in each single variable is considered. These kinds of integral are encountered in exponential‐fitting finite element methods. For the 1D and 2D cases, a fast method based on the direct evaluation of the moments is used, whereas for the 3D case, a quadrature of 2D moments is considered together with some schemes based on the knowledge of the integrand function in order to improve the computational efficiency.

The main purpose of this paper is to determine the discount function which better fits the individuals' preferences through the empirical analysis of the different functions used in the field of intertemporal choice.

After an in-depth revision of the existing literature and unlike most studies which only focus on exponential and hyperbolic discounting, this manuscript compares the adjustment of data to six different discount functions. To do this, the analysis is based on the usual statistical methods, and the non-linear least squares regression, through the algorithm of Gauss-Newton, in order to estimate the models' parameters; finally, the AICc method is used to compare the significance of the six proposed models.

This paper shows that the so-called q-exponential function deformed by the amount is the model which better explains the individuals' preferences on both delayed gains and losses. To the extent of the authors' knowledge, this is the first time that a function different from the general hyperbola fits better to the individuals' preferences.

This paper contributes to the search of an alternative model able to explain the individual behavior in a more realistic way.

As the demand for online auctions increases, the process of monitoring multiple auction houses, deciding which auction to participate in and making the right bids, become challenging tasks for consumers. Hence, knowing the closing price of a given auction would be an advantage, since this information will ensure a win in a given auction. However, predicting a closing price for an auction is not easy, since it is dependent on many factors. The purpose of this paper is to report on a predictor agent that utilises grey system theory to predict the closing price for a given auction.

The focus of the research is on grey system agent. This paper reports on the development of a predictor agent that attempts to predict the online auction closing price in order to maximise the bidder's profit. The performance of this predictor agent is compared with two well‐known techniques, the Simple Exponential Function and the Time Series, in a simulated auction environment and in the eBay auction.

The grey theory agent gives a better result when less input data are made, while the Time Series Agent can be used with the availability of a lot of information. Although the Simple Exponential Function Agent is able to predict well with less input data, it is not an appropriate method to be applied in the prediction model since its formula is not realistic and applicable in predicting the online auction closing price. The experimental results also showed that using moving historical data produces a higher accuracy rate than using fixed historical data for all three agents.

Grey system theory prediction model, GM(1, 1) has not been applied in online auction prediction. In this paper the authors have applied grey theory into an agent to predict the closing price of an online auction, in order to increase the profit of bidders in the bidding stage. The experimental results show that the accuracy of the grey prediction model is more then 90 per cent, with less then eight historical data inputs.

This paper aims to describe a numerical procedure for approximating the potential distribution for a harmonic current point source, which is either buried in horizontally stratified multilayer earth, or positioned in the air. The procedure is very efficient and general. The total number of layers and the source position in relation to the medium model layers are completely arbitrary.

The efficiency of the computation procedure is based on the successful application of the numerical approximation of two kernel functions of the integral expression for the potential distribution within an arbitrarily chosen layer of the medium model. Each kernel function of the observed layer is approximated using a linear combination of 15 real exponential functions. Using these approximations and the analytical integration based on the Weber integral, a simple expression for numerical approximation of potential distribution within boundaries of the observed medium layer is given. Potential retardation is taken into account approximately.

The numerical procedure developed for the approximation of potential distribution for a harmonic current point source, which is positioned arbitrarily in air or in horizontally stratified multilayer earth, is efficient, numerically stable and generally applicable.

Numerical model developed for the harmonic current point source is the basis of a wider numerical models for computation of the harmonic and transient fields of earthing system, which consists of earthing grids buried in horizontally stratified multilayer earth and metallic structures in the air.

This is efficient and numerically stable frequency dependent harmonic current point source model. Potential retardation, which has been neglected at the first step of the approximation, is subsequently added to the potential expression in such a way that the Helmholtz differential equation has been approximately solved without introducing the Sommerfeld integrals.

An analysis of the rank‐frequency distribution of the EURATOM‐thesaurus was carried out. Zipf's law (a hyperbolic function) was not found to be suitable for this distribution, and an exponential law was used. The total entropy of the thesaurus calculated by means of this exponential function was found in good agreement with the actual entropy of the thesaurus. The exponential function may provide a criterion to ‘revise’ some zones of thesauri.

The purpose of this paper is to originally present the generic analytical models of memelement and inverse memelement with time-dependent memory effect.

The variable order forward Grünwald–Letnikov fractional derivative and the memristor and inverse memristor models proposed by Fouda et al. have been adopted as the basis. Both analytical and numerical studies have been conducted. The applications to the candidate practical memristor and inverse memelements have also been presented.

The generic analytical models of memelement and inverse memelement with time-dependent memory effect, the simplified ones for DC and AC signal-based analyses and the equations of crucial parameters have been derived. Besides the well-known opposite relationships with frequency, the Lissajous patterns of memelement and inverse memelement also use the opposite relationships with the time. The proposed models can be well applied to the practical elements.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, for the first time, the models’ memelement and inverse memelement with time-dependent memory effect have been presented. A new contrast between these elements has been discovered. The resulting models are applicable to the practical elements.

The purpose of this paper is to present an analysis over own and other authors data related to the process of Chill Block Melt Spinning (CBMS) and propose a model of analysis for interpreting.

The methodology used in this work is to present the data analyzed by other authors, organize own data similarly to establish comparison, and established models and propose a possible physical processes interpretation.

Similarity between own experimental data. with others data reported by other authors, both z/w ratio and the thicknesses of the films produced has been found. This allows us to establish an exponential decay of the parameters studied and possibly link it the Newtonian cooling to which the samples are subjected in its production.

This work is the first model set up to predict dimensions in design process by CBMS as a function of parameters of the ribbon production process.

The prediction of the product dimensions, with adjusting the initial parameters, allows to improve the process of ribbon production, this saves tuning time of the machine and provides certainty in the molten material ejection.

The efficient production of magnetic materials lets save efforts in the raw material process preparing in magnetic cores for the energy sector. This, improves production besides benefit society by the final product and the energy savings.

The value of this paper is to propose a model of analysis that allows standardize production parameters, and could even allow the use of these models in computer programs, process simulators in a more effective manner.

The purpose of this paper is to clarify several commonly used quality cost models based on Juran’s characteristic curve. Through mathematical deduction, the lowest point of quality cost and the lowest level of quality level (often depicted by qualification rate) can be obtained. This paper also aims to introduce a new prediction model, namely discrete grey model (DGM), to forecast the changing trend of quality cost.

This paper comes to the conclusion by means of mathematical deduction. To make it more clear, the authors get the lowest quality level and the lowest quality cost by taking the derivative of the equation of quality cost and quality level. By introducing the weakening buffer operator, the authors can significantly improve the prediction accuracy of DGM.

This paper demonstrates that DGM can be used to forecast quality cost based on Juran’s cost characteristic curve, especially when the authors do not have much information or the sample capacity is rather small. When operated by practical weakening buffer operator, the randomness of time series can be obviously weakened and the prediction accuracy can be significantly improved.

This paper uses a real case from a literature to verify the validity of discrete grey forecasting model, getting the conclusion that there is a certain degree of feasibility and rationality of DGM to forecast the variation tendency of quality cost.

This paper perfects the theory of quality cost based on Juran’s characteristic curve and expands the scope of application of grey system theory.