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Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons™
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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Electric Vehicle Uptake: What Factors Are Motivating The Shift For College-Aged And Older Groups?, Jake Cardines
Electric Vehicle Uptake: What Factors Are Motivating The Shift For College-Aged And Older Groups?, Jake Cardines
Honors Projects in Mathematics
Electric vehicles (EVs) arguably are the most quickly expanding form of transportation as the world races toward a greener future with advanced technology and reduced reliance on fossil fuels. This study analyzes various expected inputs to motivating consumers of particular age groups to purchase EVs, including examination of how the idea of EV ownership is currently perceived and testing which factors influence it positively and negatively. Data collected from 113 survey respondents serves as the basis for determining the responsiveness of potential future EV owners to variables such as vehicle brand and charging availability, electric range, costs associated with purchase …
The Biggest Loser: How Tanking In Professional Sports Impacts Fan Perception, Julia Ayres
The Biggest Loser: How Tanking In Professional Sports Impacts Fan Perception, Julia Ayres
Honors Projects in Mathematics
Professional sports teams are adored nationwide for their talents and the pride they bring to their city for their efforts. However, not all teams take this responsibility seriously and will lose on purpose, or tank, to gain a higher draft pick in the future. Although the long-term goals of tanking are to help the organization, many people take issue with athletes not putting in their best efforts in every game. Teams in both the NBA and NFL are guilty of tanking to gain better draft picks but not all have found success in this process. This leads to important questions …
Under Pressure: A Case Study Of The Effects Of External Pressure On Mlb Players Using Twitter Sentiment Analysis, Jonathan Huntley
Under Pressure: A Case Study Of The Effects Of External Pressure On Mlb Players Using Twitter Sentiment Analysis, Jonathan Huntley
Honors Projects in Mathematics
Performance under pressure and psychological momentum are well-documented topics in sports psychology, but most research focuses on “in-game” pressure. This study views pressure more broadly to examine how the external pressure of fans, quantified using the sentiment of tweets mentioning the players, can affect how MLB players perform. Although external pressure is intangible, it can impact a player’s psyche and performance. This investigation focuses on players Chris Sale and David Price. A new process was developed leveraging the Vader package in Python that can generate tweet sentiment to compare to several performance metrics from Baseball Reference. Results proved to be …
Daily Fantasy Sports: Chance Or Skill?, Danielle Bergner
Daily Fantasy Sports: Chance Or Skill?, Danielle Bergner
Honors Projects in Mathematics
Online daily fantasy sports is a billion dollar industry that has caused controversy for the last few years with states debating its legal status. As of today, under the current United States federal laws and regulations, betting money on daily fantasy sports online is considered legal. However, several states have decided to ban these games within their borders believing they are based on chance and should be considered gambling which they have ruled to be illegal online. Each state has the right to make their own rules of what they consider gambling even if the federal government has allowed it. …
What Is The True Cost To Stay In The Hospital?, Samantha Alicandro
What Is The True Cost To Stay In The Hospital?, Samantha Alicandro
Honors Projects in Mathematics
Currently, the unfortunate reality that receiving diverse health procedures can be extremely expensive is widely acknowledged and woefully accepted. However, have you inquired or been curious about the specific factors that influence the cost per day expensed by a hospital? Through examination, investigation, and evaluation operating SAS Enterprise Guide, SAS Enterprise Miner and Tableau I have attempted to arrive at a conclusion for this very question. Utilizing a 1.5 million row data set provided by Rhode Island, for the years 2003-2013, I analyzed the assorted elements conceivably bearing impact on the cost per day at a hospital. Regressions, decision trees, …
Catching Card Counters, Sarah French
Catching Card Counters, Sarah French
Honors Projects in Mathematics
The casino industry has been researched through a variety of disciplines including psychological gambling habits, technological advances, business strategies, and mathematical simulations. In the vast number of studies that have been conducted, there are few scholarly articles that focus on the specific aspect of card counting. The majority of games in the casino are designed to favor the “house”. This study focuses on the game of blackjack, in which players using a card counting strategy can tip the odds in their favor. A computer simulation was used to model the betting strategy of a card counter who would bet methodically. …
The Evaluation Of Rhode Island Public High School Teachers: The Impact On Students, Stephen Lamontagne
The Evaluation Of Rhode Island Public High School Teachers: The Impact On Students, Stephen Lamontagne
Honors Projects in Mathematics
In 2012, the state of Rhode Island began the full implementation of a high-stakes teacher evaluation system. Its purpose is to increase teacher accountability and to improve student performance. However, a significant amount of literature casts doubt about the effectiveness and validity of teacher evaluation. This paper utilizes statistical methods including regression and decision trees in order to determine whether or not there is a relationship between teacher evaluation in Rhode Island and student performance, using RI Department of Education Data for each school from 2008-2015. Furthermore, this presentation investigates other factors that affect schools, to see if changes in …
The Implications Of Self-Driving Cars On Insurance, Amanda Lobello
The Implications Of Self-Driving Cars On Insurance, Amanda Lobello
Honors Projects in Mathematics
Self-driving cars, also known as autonomous vehicles, are being researched and tested by automakers, technology industry leaders, and other institutions. Lawmakers and politicians are discussing the legislation that will affect the fate of such technology. Primary benefits include safety, mobility, free time, less traffic, and green effects. However, there are also obstacles to the implementation of self-driving vehicles including consumer acceptance, legal liability, and cost. With the potential shift in responsibility from driver to automaker, rating factors for insurance may change, weighing more heavily on the model of the car as a factor. The fate of auto insurance is in …
Bootstrapping Vs. Asymptotic Theory In Property And Casualty Loss Reserving, Andrew J. Difronzo Jr.
Bootstrapping Vs. Asymptotic Theory In Property And Casualty Loss Reserving, Andrew J. Difronzo Jr.
Honors Projects in Mathematics
One of the key functions of a property and casualty (P&C) insurance company is loss reserving, which calculates how much money the company should retain in order to pay out future claims. Most P&C insurance companies use non-stochastic (non-random) methods to estimate these future liabilities. However, future loss data can also be projected using generalized linear models (GLMs) and stochastic simulation. Two simulation methods that will be the focus of this project are: bootstrapping methodology, which resamples the original loss data (creating pseudo-data in the process) and fits the GLM parameters based on the new data to estimate the sampling …
Standardized Testing: What Is It Good For? A Case Study In Connecticut, Megan Mapp
Standardized Testing: What Is It Good For? A Case Study In Connecticut, Megan Mapp
Honors Projects in Mathematics
The case study was developed in an attempt to shed more light on the debate of standardized testing. The goal of the study was to find evidence to support whether or not standardized testing is worth doing in public secondary schools. To investigate this question, the state standardized math test scores of three Connecticut public high schools were analyzed. The average math scores over thirteen years were observed and statistical analysis was performed to see if any significant differences existed between the three schools. Tests were performed before and after the change in standardized test. The graduation rates of the …