Digital Commons Network^™

A Markov Model For Baseball With Applications, Daniel Joseph Ursin

Theses and Dissertations

In this work we confirm a Markov chain model of baseball for 2013 Major League Baseball batting data. We describe the transition matrices for individual player data and their use in generating single and nine-inning run distributions for a given lineup. The run distribution is used to calculate the expected number of runs produced by a lineup over nine innings. We discuss batting order optimization heuristics to avoid computation of distributions for the 9! = 362, 880 distinct lineups for 9 players. Finally, we describe an implementation of the algorithms and review their performance against actual game data.

Analyzing State Attempts At Implementing The Common Core State Standards For High School Geometry: Case Studies Of Utah And New York, Edward Steltenpohl

Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzes two state attempts at aligning curricula to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in secondary school geometry. The education departments of Utah and New York have approved curricula aimed at aligning to the Common Core State Standards: the Mathematics Vision Project (MVP) and EngageNY (ENY) respectively. This study measures the extent to which those curricula align with the content demands of the relevant Common Core Standards. The results indicate that, while the two curricula vary in structure and assumptions about learners, each one aligns well with the Common Core State Standards in secondary school geometry. We conclude …

Contractible N-Manifolds And The Double N-Space Property, Pete Sparks

Theses and Dissertations

We are interested in contractible n-manifolds M which decompose or split as M = A union B where A,B, and A intersect B are all homeomorphic to Euclidean n-space or A,B, and A intersect B are all homeomorphic to the n-dimensional unit ball. We introduce a 4-manifold M containing a spine which splits as A union B with A,B, and A intersect B all collapsible which in turn implies M splits as the union of two 4-balls whose intersection is also a 4-ball. From M we obtain a countably infinite collection of distinct 4-manifolds all of which split this way. …

Option Pricing For A General Stock Model In Discrete Time, Cindy Lynn Nichols

Theses and Dissertations

{As there are no arbitrage opportunities in an efficient market, the seller of an option must find a risk neutral price. This thesis examines different characterizations of this option price. In the first characterization, the seller forms a hedging portfolio of shares of the stock and units of the bond at the time of the option's sale so as to reduce his risk of losing money. Before the option matures, the present value stock price fluctuates in discrete time and, based on those changes, the seller alters the content of the portfolio at the end of each time period. The …

Newton's Method Backpropagation For Complex-Valued Holomorphic Neural Networks: Algebraic And Analytic Properties, Diana Thomson La Corte

Theses and Dissertations

The study of Newton's method in complex-valued neural networks (CVNNs) faces many difficulties. In this dissertation, we derive Newton's method backpropagation algorithms for complex-valued holomorphic multilayer perceptrons (MLPs), and we investigate the convergence of the one-step Newton steplength algorithm for the minimization of real-valued complex functions via Newton's method. The problem of singular Hessian matrices provides an obstacle to the use of Newton's method backpropagation to train CVNNs. We approach this problem by developing an adaptive underrelaxation factor algorithm that avoids singularity of the Hessian matrices for the minimization of real-valued complex polynomial functions.

To provide experimental support for the …

Statistical Hyperbolicity Of Relatively Hyperbolic Groups, Jeremy Osborne

Theses and Dissertations

In this work, we begin by defining what it means for a group to be statistically hyperbolic. We then give several examples of groups, including non-elementary hyperbolic groups, which either are statistically hyperbolic or are not. Following that, we define what it means for a group to be relatively hyperbolic. Finally, in the main portion of this work, we show that groups which are relatively hyperbolic, with a few additional conditions in place, must also be statistically hyperbolic.

An Analysis And Comparison Of The Common Core State Standards For Mathematics And The Singapore Mathematics Curriculum Framework, Heidi Ann Ertl

Theses and Dissertations

In this analysis and comparison we look at the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and the Singapore Mathematics Curriculum Framework, standards documents that guide primary and secondary mathematics education in the United States and Singapore respectively. The official Common Core State Standards for Mathematics website claims that the standards have been developed to be "internationally benchmarked, so that all students are prepared for the 21st century". Singapore has recently been recognized as a world leader in mathematics education. We investigate the claim that the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics are internationally benchmarked by comparing the Common Core State …

Teachers' Beliefs And Practices Regarding Homework: An Examination Of The Cognitive Domain Embedded In Third Grade Mathematics Homework, Pandora Dell Bedford

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to gain a better understanding of third grade math teachers''beliefs and practices regarding homework, to explain how teachers''beliefs and practices regarding homework aligned to the framework of the Revised Bloom's'Taxonomy Cognitive Domain, and to determine the administrative influences on homework practices. The data were collected during October and November 2013. Six third grade math teachers (primary unit of analysis) and four principals (secondary unit of analysis) were interviewed from Dell School District. Each participant (teacher and principal) was interviewed for approximately one hour. A second meeting was set at a later time with …

On The Generalized Ince Equation, Ridha Moussa

Theses and Dissertations

We investigate a Hill differential equation with trigonometric polynomial coefficients. we are interested in solutions which are even or odd and have period π or semi-period π. With one of the mentioned boundary conditions, our equation constitute a regular Sturm-Liouville eigenvalue problem. Using Fourier series representation each one of the four Sturm-Liouville operators is represented by an infinite banded matrix. In the particular cases of Ince and Lam equations, the four infinite banded matrices become tridiagonal. We then investigate the problem of coexistence of periodic solutions and that of existence of polynomial solutions.

Experiments On Temporal Variable Step Bdf2 Algorithms, Anja Katrin Denner

Theses and Dissertations

Efficient algorithms for solving stiff PDEs are of great interest. For developing such an algorithm step sizes should vary in both space and time. We have to understand each separately first before putting it together, and this thesis is dedicated to developing a sharper notion of the performance of a variable step size BDF2 scheme for some examples. We find suitable parameters for the variable step size algorithm proposed by Jannelli and Fazio in their respective paper concerning adaptive stiff solvers at low accuracy and complexity. Finally, we make a short excursion on the stability of BDF2 for the Allen-Cahn …

Optimal Reinsurance Strategy With Bivariate Pareto Risks, Evelyn Susanne Gaus

Theses and Dissertations

In an insurance, one is often concerned with risks and extreme events which can cause large losses. The Pareto distribution is often used in actuarial sciences for modeling large losses. This thesis extends the study of Cai and Wei (2011) by considering a two-line business model with positive dependence through stochastic ordering (PDS) risks, where the risks are bivariate Pareto distributed. Cai and Wei (2011) showed that in individual reinsurance treaties the excess-of-loss treaty is the optimal reinsurance form for an insurer with PDS risks. We derive explicit expressions for the optimal retention levels in the excess-of-loss treaty by considering …

A Limit Theorem For The Squared Norm Of Empirical Distribution Functions, Alexander Nerlich

Theses and Dissertations

There are many limit theorems which involve empirical distribution functions.

This thesis is dedicated to prove a limit theorem for the squared L2-norm of two empirical distribution functions.

Incorporating Krylov Subspace Methods In The Etdrk4 Scheme, Jeffrey H. Allen

Theses and Dissertations

A modification of the (2,2)-Pade algorithm developed by Wade et al. for implementing the exponential time differencing fourth order Runge-Kutta (ETDRK4) method is introduced. The main computational difficulty in implementing the ETDRK4 method is the required approximation to the matrix exponential. Wade et al. use the fourth order (2,2)-Pade approximant in their algorithm and in this thesis we incorporate Krylov subspace methods in an attempt to improve efficiency. A background of Krylov subspace methods is provided and we describe how they are used in approximating the matrix exponential and how to implement them into the ETDRK4 method. The (2,2)-Pade and …

The Pekeris Method For Lithium: Possibilities And Obstructions, Marcel Kreuter

Theses and Dissertations

It is widely believed that the properties of atoms and molecules are accurately described by the Schrödinger equation, at least in so far as relativistic effects may be neglected. Extracting these properties from the equation in practice, however, can be a highly challenging task. In 1958, Chaim L. Pekeris developed a method for computing the ground state energy of the Helium atom. This thesis surveys the possibilities and obstructions that occur when one tries to compute the ground state energy of Lithium using Pekeris's method.

Mathematical Modeling Of Competition For Light And Nutrients Between Phytoplankton Species In A Poorly Mixed Water Column, Thomas George Stojsavljevic

Theses and Dissertations

Phytoplankton live in a complex environment with two essential resources forming various gradients. Light supplied from above is never homogeneously distributed in a body of water due to refraction and absorption from biomass present in the ecosystem and from other sources. Nutrients in turn are typically supplied from below. In poorly mixed water columns phytoplankton can be heterogeneously distributed forming various layering patterns. The relationship between the location and the thickness of the layers is an open problem of interest. Here we present three models which study how competition for light and resources can form common layering patterns seen in …

A Mathematical Model Of Moisture Movement And Bacterial Growth In Two-Dimensional Porous Medium, Rachel Elizabeth Tewinkel

Theses and Dissertations

Bacterial growth in sand is of concern in regard to the health of beaches. A mathematical model is presented that represents the movement of moisture and the growth of bacteria through a beach. Simulations were run by numerically solving Richards Equation using a Finite Volume Method in order to track moisture movement. A model of moisture-dependent bacterial growth was then implemented. These simulations show that elevated bacteria counts following rain events do not necessarily result from bacteria in the body of water, but can also be sourced from the sand. Additionally, four different moisture-dependent bacterial growth models are compared to …