Statistics and Probability Commons^™

Jury Responsibility In Capital Sentencing: An Empirical Study, Theodore Eisenberg, Stephen P. Garvey, Martin T. Wells

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

The law allows executioners to deny responsibility for what they have done by making it possible for them to believe they have not done it. The law treats members of capital sentencing juries quite differently. It seeks to ensure that they feel responsible for sentencing a defendant to death. This differential treatment rests on a presumed link between a capital sentencer's willingness to accept responsibility for the sentence she imposes and the accuracy and reliability of that sentence. Using interviews of 153 jurors who sat in South Carolina capital cases, this article examines empirically whether capital sentencing jurors assume responsibility …

Litigation Outcomes In State And Federal Courts: A Statistical Portrait, Theodore Eisenberg, John Goerdt, Brian Ostrom, David Rottman

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

"U.S. Juries Grow Tougher on Plaintiffs in Lawsuits," the New York Times page-one headline reads. The story details how, in 1992, plaintiffs won 52 percent of the personal injury cases decided by jury verdicts, a decline from the 63 percent plaintiff success rate in 1989. The sound-byte explanations follow, including the notion that juries have learned that they, as part of the general population, ultimately pay the costs of high verdicts. Similar stories, reporting both increases and decreases in jury award levels, regularly make headlines. Jury Verdict Research, Inc. (JVR), a commercial service that sells case outcome information, often is …

Xenophilia In American Courts, Kevin M. Clermont, Theodore Eisenberg

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

Foreigner! The word says it all. Verging on the politically incorrect, the expression is full of connotation and implication. A foreigner will face bias. By such a thought process, many people believe that litigants have much to fear in courts foreign to them. In particular, non-Americans fare badly in American courts. Foreigners believe this. Even Americans believe this.

Such views about American courts are understandable. After all, the grant of alienage jurisdiction to the federal courts, both original and removal, constitutes an official assumption that xenophobic bias is present in state courts. As James Madison said of state courts: “We …

Courts In Cyberspace, Theodore Eisenberg, Kevin M. Clermont

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Federal Legislation Needed To Improve Towing Vessel Safety, Paul J. Keenan Jr.

Marine Affairs Theses and Major Papers

To the casual observer, towing vessels and barges, with their low profile and unassuming presence, may seem to be an uninspiring and small part of the shipping scene. However, tank and dry cargo barges actually carry sixty-nine percent of our nation's domestic waterborne commerce. Regulations for large ships, especially oil tankers, have touched every aspect of the shipping industry, including naval architecture, engineering, damage control, manning, training, licensing, etc. Towing vessels and barges however, have largely managed to escape the proliferation of regulation. Current legislation does not provide for the inspection of sea-going towing vessels under three hundred gross tons …

Ua56/1 Fact Book, Wku Institutional Research

WKU Administration Documents

Statistical and demographic profile of WKU.

A Center-Unstable Manifold Theorem For Parametrically Excited Surface Waves, Larry Turyn

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications

When fluid in a rectangular tank sits upon a platform which is oscillating with sufficient amplitude, surface waves appear in the ''Faraday resonance.'' Scientists and engineers have done bifurcation analyses which assume that there is a center manifold theory using a finite number of excited spatial modes. We establish such a center manifold theorem for Xiao-Biao Lin's model in which potential flow is assumed but an artificial dissipation term is included in the system of partial differential equations on the free surface. We use interpolation spaces developed by da Prate and Grisvard, establish maximal regularity for a family of evolution …

Curing A Summing Error That Occurs Automatically When Fitting A Function To Binomial Or Poisson Distributed Data, Edwin S. Braithwaite, Wilfred J. Braithwaite

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Without special precautions a sum-rule error occurs automatically when a chi-squared procedure is used to fit a funtion to binomial or Poisson distributed histogram data if the function has at least one linear parameter. Since the square of the variance per channel is equal to the mean population, errors are usually approximated using (G2~=yi>0)}; this choice for approximating the variance gives a per-channel error weighting of 1/yi that automatically results in a sum-rule error. This sum-rule error consistently and systematically underestimates the total sum of the data points by an amount equal to the value of %*, resulting in …

Exact Multiplicity Results For Boundary Value Problems With Nonlinearities Generalizing Cubic, Philip Korman, Yi Li, Tiancheng Ouyang

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Support Of Measure-Valued Branching Processes In A Random Environment, Donald A. Dawson, Yi Li, Carl Mueller

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications

We consider the one-dimensional catalytic branching process intro­duced by Dawson and Fleischmann, which is a modification of the super­ Brownian motion. The catalysts are given by a nonnegative infinitely divisible random measure with independent increments. We give sufficient conditions for the global support of the process to be compact, and sufficient conditions for noncompact global support. Since the catalytic process is related to the heat equation, compact support may be surprising. On the other hand, the super-Brownian motion has compact global support. We find that all nonnegative stable random measures lead to compact global support, and we give an example …

Exorcising The Evil Of Forum-Shopping, Kevin M. Clermont, Theodore Eisenberg

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

Most of the business of litigation comprises pretrial disputes. A common and important dispute is over where adjudication should take place. Civil litigators deal with nearly as many change-of-venue motions as trials. The battle over venue often constitutes the critical issue in a case.

The American way is to provide plaintiffs with a wide choice of venues for suit. But the American way has its drawbacks. To counter these drawbacks, an integral part of our court systems, and in particular the federal court system, is the scheme of transfer of venue "in the interest of justice." However, the leading evaluative …

Performance Indices For On-Ice Hockey Statistics, William (Bill) H. Williams

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Stability Of Growing Front Of Yba(2)Cu(3)O(X) Superconductor In The Presence Of Pt And Ceo(2) Additions, Gregory Kozlowski, Tom Svobodny

Physics Faculty Publications

Distinctive microstructures of textured YBa₂Cu₃O_x (123) superconductors were examined by scanning electron microscopy and metallurgical microscopy. The samples were synthesized under a residual thermal gradient by using a modified melt textured growth on a Y₂BaCuO₅ (211) substrate. Also, the unidirectional solidification by a zone‐melting method was performed to fabricate 123 superconducting bars up to 12 cm long placed on the 211 substrate in the horizontal arrangement, with a growth rate R=0.5 mm/h and a temperature gradient of G=20 °C/cm (G/R=400 °C h/cm²). A ramping …

Free-Boundary Problems For Potential And Stokes Flows Via Nonsmooth Analysis, Srdjan Stojanovic, Tom Svobodny

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications

A new approach to some free boundary problems of the type of jets and cavities for potential flows is introduced. Both potential and Stokes flows are considered. The variable domain problems are relaxed so that they become nonsmooth optimization problems on fixed domains for somewhat singular state equations. State equations are considered, and multivalued generalized gradients of the variational functionals are studied. The method is constructive.

A Robust Method Of Solving Nonlinear Boundary Value Problems Via Modified Compromise Programming, John L. Zornick

Theses and Dissertations

This study is an extension of Ng's previous work in which goal programming was used to determine an approximate solution to a boundary value problem. This approach follows the same basic approach developed by Ng in which the method of collocation was recast as a compromise programming model. Hence, instead of solving a system of simultaneous nonlinear equations, one seeks a compromise solution which minimizes (in a weighted residual sense) a vector norm of the differential equation residuals. A difference in this approach is that it makes use of a genetic algorithm as the optimizing engine as opposed to the …

Spatial Time-Series: Pollution Pattern Recognition Under Irregular Interventions, Samuel A. Wright

Theses and Dissertations

The Fernald Environmental Restoration Management Corporation (FERMCO) has noted the introduction of arsenic contamination to groundwater around the area of the groundwater recovery system, which captures uranium contaminated groundwater. The introduction of arsenic occurs during high levels of pumping and is particularly sensitive to the western two of the five pumps. Auto-Regressive Moving Average (ARMA) and Spatial-Temporal ARMA (STARMA) empirical analyses are used to model the level of arsenic contamination found through time. The intervention of varied levels of pumping is modeled with a transfer function using analytic techniques to create a causal intervention transfer function input series to give …

Response Surface Methodology As A Sensitivity Tool In Decision Analysis, David A. Meyers

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to evaluate response surface methodology as a sensitivity analysis tool in the area of decision analysis. The advent of low-cost personal computer software, such as DPLTM, has created an accessible tool with the ability to frame and solve influence diagrams for decision problems. This study provides a comparison of current sensitivity analysis techniques vs those made possible through response surface methodology (RSM). Sensitivity analysis alternatives are demonstrated on a decision problem concerning the evaluation of force structure options for the Department of Defense. Sensitivity analysis is performed on both one-way and two-way perturbations of …

A New Goodness-Of-Fit Test For The Gamma Distribution Based On Sample Spacings From Complete And Censored Samples, Huseyin Duman

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis studies a new goodness-of-fit test for the gamma distribution with known shape parameter. This test statistic, Z*, is based on spacings from complete or censored samples. The size of samples varied between 5 and 35. The critical value tables were generated for the Z* test statistic for complete and censored samples. The critical values were obtained for five different significance levels: 0.20 0.15, 0.10, 0.05, and 0.01. An extensive power study, containing 50,000 Monte Carlo runs was conducted using nine alternative distributions, H_a. It was observed that the Z* test statistic was more powerful against certain …

Acquiring Consistent Knowledge For Bayesian Forests, Darwyn O. Banks

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis develops a methodology and a tool for knowledge acquisition with the new probabilistic knowledge representation-the Bayesian Forest. It establishes the structure of the Knowledge Acquisition and Maintenance module of the Probabilities. Expert Systems, Knowledge and Inference (PESKI) architecture. The tool, MACK, is designed to be used directly by the domain expert(s) rather than by knowledge engineer(s), and thus supports automated knowledge acquisition. This research determines and implements the constraints necessary to ensure the consistency of Bayesian Forest knowledge bases as data is both acquired and subsequently maintained. The impact to the PESKI architecture of time-dependent information and default …

Principal Points And Self-Consistent Points Of Elliptical Distributions, Thaddeus Tarpey, Luning Li, Bernard Flury

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications

In this paper we study principal points and self-consistent points of p-variate elliptical distributions. We also discuss implications of our results for the computation and estimation of principal points.

Ua56/1 Fact Book, Wku Institutional Research

WKU Administration Documents

Statistical and demographic profile of WKU.

Singularity Of Super-Brownian Local Time At A Point Catalyst, Donald A. Dawson, Klaus Fleischmann, Yi Li, Carl Mueller

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Reconstruction Of Semiconductor Doping Profile From Lbic Image, Weifu Fang, Kazufumi Ito

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications

In this paper, the authors study the reconstruction of a semiconductor doping profile or, equivalently, the equilibrium potential, from its LBIC (laser-beam-induced current) image. For the one-dimensional case, the authors first characterize the attainable class of current measurements, and from this they show the nonuniqueness of the inverse problem. Then the reconstruction of the equilibrium potential is reduced to finding two constants subject to some constraints. A reconstruction algorithm is established based on a least squares formulation of the problem. The case of noise-collapsed data is also discussed. For a special case of two-dimensional domain, the authors apply the one-dimensional …

Evolving Plane Curves By Curvature In Relative Geometries Ii, Michael E. Gage, Yi Li

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications

In this paper we prove the existence of self-similar solutions to the anisotropic curve shortening equation.

Remarks On Automorphisms Of Subfactors, Phan Loi

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications

We establish certain properties of automorphisms on an inclusion of AFD type II₁ factors with finite index and finite depth and discuss their applications to the classification problem of AFD type III subfactors, including a different proof of a result on subfactors with principal graph D_n.

Proactive Monitoring Of Performance In Stochastic Communication Networks, John C. C. Van Hove

Theses and Dissertations

This research proposes several models for placing bounds on the expected values of some dynamic performance measures for computer communication networks with failing components. These models provide an understanding of expected network performance that is useful in the process of proactive performance monitoring and also in defining level of service agreements with network users. There were three objectives for this research. The first objective was to extend some existing models of steady-state stochastic network performance to a dynamic network flow representation in order to capture the dynamic nature of proactive monitoring. The second objective was to convert the extended absolute …

A Comparison Of Variable Selection Criteria For Multiple Linear Regression: A Third Simulation Study, Ertem Mutlu

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this thesis research is to introduce and study a modification of Millers Method which we call the Modified-Millers method MM method, study two step subset selection procedures, these of which apply Millers Method in the first step and employs another method Minimum MSE or Minimum Sp or Minimum Cp in the second step and these of which employ another method Minimum MSE or Minimum Sp or Minimum Cp in the first step and applies Millers Method in the second step. The results of all techniques will be compared including the results of the previous simulation studies done …

The Use Of L-Moments To Fit The Generalized Lambda Distribution To Sample Data, Robert B. Mohan

Theses and Dissertations

The Generalized Lambda Distribution GLD is a four-parameter, continuous probability distribution that is useful for simulation analysis. The strengths of the GLD lie in its abilities to approximate many distributions, represent data when the underlying distribution is unknown, and fit or generate random variates. The method of moments is presently the accepted technique for estimating the parameters of this distribution. However, it is sensitive to extreme observations and subject to large sampling variability as the sample size decreases. L-moments are expectations of certain linear combinations of order statistics. They can be used to estimate parameters and quantiles of probability distributions. …

Ua56/1 Fact Book, Wku Institutional Research

WKU Administration Documents

Statistical and demographic profile of WKU.

Should We Abolish Chapter 11? The Evidence From Japan, Theodore Eisenberg, Shoichi Tagashira

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

Optimizing reorganization proceedings for small and midsized businesses is an important issue in every industrial country. But little information exists about the actual operation of such proceedings. Recent U.S. bankruptcy studies focus either on consumer bankruptcies or on large Chapter 11 cases involving publicly listed firms. This article presents the results of a comprehensive empirical study of Japan's most frequently used business bankruptcy reorganization provision. Small and midsized reorganizations have become important for several reasons. First, unlike large firms, the vast majority of small businesses fail to obtain confirmation of a Chapter 11 plan and end up in liquidation, thus …