Adventskalender, Tag 6: Gedanken und Wünsche für Hochbegabte.

E-print/Working paper (2016)

Adventskalender, Tag 9: Gedanken und Wünsche für Hochbegabte.

E-print/Working paper (2016)

"Erwachsene" als relationale-Personen-in-Skalierungsarbeit-an-Orten-in-der-Zeit

E-print/Working paper (2016)

Elemente eines relationalen und skalierungssensiblen Konzepts für Ausstellungen und andere "Arrangements" am Beispiel eines Museums für Wohlfahrtsgeschichte

E-print/Working paper (2016)

Gemeinwesenarbeit als relationale skalierungssensible Örtlichkeitsarbeit

E-print/Working paper (2016)

Frontaliers atypiques dans la Grande-Région SaarLorLux

E-print/Working paper (2016)

The Greater Region is characterised by the singular independence of its labour market between its different sectors. Cross-border commuting across national borders has been facilitated in a tangible way ... [more ▼]

The Greater Region is characterised by the singular independence of its labour market between its different sectors. Cross-border commuting across national borders has been facilitated in a tangible way by the process of European unification, as a result of which the status of cross-border commuters has been defined from the point of view of social and fiscal rights. This definition does not distinguish between border workers who migrate from their "home region" to the neighbouring country and those who come from the neighbouring country to the "home region" to join their place of work. The last-mentioned atypical border phenomenon is becoming increasingly important in the Greater Region. It is therefore in the context of residential mobility and atypical mobility of cross-border employees that the motivations of the latter as well as questions relating to the spatial organisation of daily practices are analysed in the context of the change of domicile. Aspects of social life at the place of residence will also be investigated and the subjective evaluation of residential migration will be detailed. The evaluation of each of these elements is based on the comparative study of atypical commuting at the border between Luxembourg and Lorraine/Saarland. [less ▲]

Possessions en prêt au Haut Moyen Âge des Abbayes de Gorze et Wissembourg, de 661 à environ 860

E-print/Working paper (2016)

In the medieval world, the abbey had multiple meanings. On the one hand, it was a place of spiritual life where the abbey community lived, prayed and worked according to the strict ideals of the rule. The ... [more ▼]

In the medieval world, the abbey had multiple meanings. On the one hand, it was a place of spiritual life where the abbey community lived, prayed and worked according to the strict ideals of the rule. The schools, libraries and scriptoriums in which manuscripts were copied and partially decorated, also made it a centre of learning and the spread of knowledge. On the other hand, the abbeys were one of the largest landowners in the Middle Ages and their abbots were not only the superiors of religious communities but also the directors of large economic centres. The endowments for their foundation and donations from royalty or nobility provided the abbeys with considerable property. These assets were by no means a coherent mass in the vicinity of the abbey, but were rather scattered over long distances. The abbeys of Wissembourg and Gorze, through the cartularies that have come down to us, lend themselves to a more precise examination of the abbeys' economy. [less ▲]

Hybrid mesh/particle meshless method for modeling geological flows with discontinuous transport properties

E-print/Working paper (2016)

In the present paper, we introduce the Finite Difference Method-Meshless Method (FDM-MM) in the context of geodynamical simulations. The proposed numerical scheme relies on the well-established FD method ... [more ▼]

In the present paper, we introduce the Finite Difference Method-Meshless Method (FDM-MM) in the context of geodynamical simulations. The proposed numerical scheme relies on the well-established FD method along with the newly developed “meshless” method and, is considered as a hybrid Eulerian/Lagrangian scheme. Mass, momentum, and energy equations are solved using an FDM method, while material properties are distributed over a set of markers (particles), which represent the spatial domain, with the solution interpolated back to the Eulerian grid. The proposed scheme is capable of solving flow equations (Stokes flow) in uniform geometries with particles, “sprinkled” in the spatial domain and is used to solve convection- diffusion problems avoiding the oscillation produced in the Eulerian approach. The resulting algebraic linear systems were solved using direct solvers. Our hybrid approach can capture sharp variations of stresses and thermal gradients in problems with a strongly variable viscosity and thermal conductivity as demonstrated through various benchmarking test cases. The present hybrid approach allows for the accurate calculation of fine thermal structures, offering local type adaptivity through the flexibility of the particle method. [less ▲]

On four Koszul-Tate resolutions

E-print/Working paper (2015)

Auswertung der Selbstevaluation des IDENT2-Projekts (2011-2014)

E-print/Working paper (2015)

Let's Talk Business: The Economic Impact of Brexit

E-print/Working paper (2015)

The Demand for Diversification in Incomplete Markets

E-print/Working paper (2015)

Desperately Seeking Small Worlds in Corporate Boards: International Evidence from Listed Firms

E-print/Working paper (2015)

Financing Patterns of European SMEs: An Empirical Taxonomy

E-print/Working paper (2015)

This EIF Working Paper takes a holistic approach to investigate SME financing patterns in Europe by performing a cluster analysis including 12,726 SMEs in 28 European countries. The results reveal that ... [more ▼]

This EIF Working Paper takes a holistic approach to investigate SME financing patterns in Europe by performing a cluster analysis including 12,726 SMEs in 28 European countries. The results reveal that SME financing in Europe is not homogenous but that different financing patterns exist. The cluster analysis identifies six distinct SME financing types: mixed-financed SMEs, state-subsidised SMEs, debt-financed SMEs, flexible-debt-financed SMEs, trade-financed SMEs and internally-financed SMEs. These SME financingtypes differ according to the number of financing instruments used and the combinations thereof. Furthermore, the SME financing types can be profiled according to their firm-, product-, industry- and country- specific characteristics. Our findings can support policy makers in assessing the impact of policy changes on SME financing and in designing financing programs tailored to the specific needs of SMEs. [less ▲]

Assessing and Improving the Mutation Testing Practice of PIT

E-print/Working paper (2015)

A Polyakov formula for sectors

E-print/Working paper (2015)

We consider finite area convex Euclidean circular sectors. We prove a variational Polyakov formula which shows how the zeta-regularized determinant of the Laplacian varies with respect to the opening ... [more ▼]

We consider finite area convex Euclidean circular sectors. We prove a variational Polyakov formula which shows how the zeta-regularized determinant of the Laplacian varies with respect to the opening angle. Varying the angle corresponds to a conformal deformation in the direction of a conformal factor with a logarithmic singularity at the corner. As an application of the method, we obtain an analogues Polyakov formula for a surface with one conical singularity. We compute the zeta-regularized determinant of rectangular domains of fixed area and prove that it is uniquely maximized by the square. [less ▲]

Adelic openness without the Mumford-Tate conjecture

E-print/Working paper (2015)

On the Distribution of Frobenius of Weight 2 Eigenforms with Quadratic Coefficient Field

E-print/Working paper (2015)

In this article we present a heuristic model that describes the asymptotic behaviour of the number of primes p such that the p-th coefficient of a given eigenform is a rational integer. We treat the case ... [more ▼]

In this article we present a heuristic model that describes the asymptotic behaviour of the number of primes p such that the p-th coefficient of a given eigenform is a rational integer. We treat the case of a weight 2 eigenform with quadratic coefficient field without inner twists. Moreover we present numerical data which agrees with our model and the assumptions we made to obtain it. [less ▲]

Institutional Investors, Analysts' Recommendations, Annual Reports, Textual Analysis and Stock Returns: Evidence from SEC EDGAR 10-K and 13-F Forms

E-print/Working paper (2015)

The Comparative Political Economy of Basel III

E-print/Working paper (2015)

The Basel III Accord was the centerpiece of the international regulatory response to the global financial crisis, setting new capital requirements for internationally active banks. This paper explains the ... [more ▼]

The Basel III Accord was the centerpiece of the international regulatory response to the global financial crisis, setting new capital requirements for internationally active banks. This paper explains the divergent preferences on Basel III of national regulators in three countries that approximate what are frequently presented as distinct varieties of capitalism in Europe – Germany, the United Kingdom and France. It is argued that national regulators faced a ‘trilemma’ in setting capital requirements, having to prioritize among banking sector stability, the competitiveness of national banks and short to medium term economic growth. Different varieties of national financial system – specifically, banking system and different kinds of ‘banking champions’ – explain the different prioritization of objectives in the ‘trilemma’ and hence for the divergent preferences of national regulators on Basel III capital requirements. [less ▲]

8pi-periodic Josephson effect in time-reversal invariant interacting Rashba nanowires

E-print/Working paper (2015)

We investigate narrow quantum wires with strong Rashba spin-orbit coupling and electron-electron interactions. We show that virtual transitions between subbands lead to umklapp scattering which can open a ... [more ▼]

We investigate narrow quantum wires with strong Rashba spin-orbit coupling and electron-electron interactions. We show that virtual transitions between subbands lead to umklapp scattering which can open a partial gap in the spectrum even in the presence of time-reversal symmetry. Using the superconducting proximity effect to gap out the remaining modes, we show that the system can host zero-energy states at its edges, which are protected by time-reversal symmetry. We present the parameter regime in which these bound states will emerge. Similarly to Majorana bound states, they will produce a zero-bias peak in the differential conductance. In contrast to the Majorana fermions, however, their fourfold degeneracy leads to an 8π periodicity of the Josephson current due to tunneling of fractionalized excitations with charge e/2. [less ▲]

Triple-A rating? Juncker's vision for the EU's social policy scorecard

E-print/Working paper (2015)

Pension insecurity and well-being in Europe

E-print/Working paper (2015)

This paper studies pension insecurity in a sample of non-retired individuals aged 50 years or older from 18 European countries. We relate pension insecurity with the subjective expectations on the ... [more ▼]

This paper studies pension insecurity in a sample of non-retired individuals aged 50 years or older from 18 European countries. We relate pension insecurity with the subjective expectations on the probability that the government will reduce the pensions of the individual before retirement or will increase the statutory retirement age. We argue that changes in economic conditions and policy affect the formation of such probabilities, and through this, subjective wellbeing. In particular, we study the effects of pension insecurity on subjective wellbeing with pooled OLS models, regressions per quintiles and instrumental variables. We find a statistically significant, stable and negative association between pension insecurity and subjective wellbeing. The quintile regressions allow us to establish that pension insecurity is more salient for individuals who are poorer, who subjectively assess their life survival rate as low and who have higher cognitive abilities. [less ▲]

Urban social structure, social capital and spatial proximity

E-print/Working paper (2015)

We develop a theoretical model where the existence and intensity of dyadic contacts depend on location. We show that agents tend to interact more with agents that are highly central in the network of ... [more ▼]

We develop a theoretical model where the existence and intensity of dyadic contacts depend on location. We show that agents tend to interact more with agents that are highly central in the network of social contacts and that are geographically closer. Using a unique geo-coded dataset of friendship networks in the United States, we find evidence consistent with this model. The main empirical challenge, which is the possible endogenous network formation, is tackled by employing a Bayesian methodology that allows to estimate simultaneously network formation and intensity of network contacts. [less ▲]

Trade Credit and firm Comovements

E-print/Working paper (2015)

This paper provides evidence that production linkages, as well as credit chains (represented by trade credit), are important for the transmission of idiosyncratic (firm-level) shocks across firms in the ... [more ▼]

This paper provides evidence that production linkages, as well as credit chains (represented by trade credit), are important for the transmission of idiosyncratic (firm-level) shocks across firms in the economy. We build on the idea that trade credit develops along production linkages, and amplifies the idiosyncratic shock as firms may lack inputs and also liquidity. Using disaggregated firm-level data we show that the disturbance of customer's sales increases with greater trade credit linkage. We show that during a recession the existence of trade credit linkage propagates shocks upstream, from a supplier onto its upstream customer. In these periods, firms are short of liquidity and are unable to withstand a drop in trade credit provision. In good times, however, trade credit plays a stabilizing role, reducing the volatility of firms' sales. In these periods, firms with sufficient liquidity are able to transfer some of it to liquidity-starved production partners in order to guarantee their own stable production. [less ▲]

Healing through Liquidity Injections ?

E-print/Working paper (2015)

The unprecedentedly high borrowing costs of banks along with the armada of interventions by the ECB and kin institutions to prevent a financial haemorrhage underpin the motivation of this paper to re ... [more ▼]

The unprecedentedly high borrowing costs of banks along with the armada of interventions by the ECB and kin institutions to prevent a financial haemorrhage underpin the motivation of this paper to re-visit the connection between default probabilities à la Merton and borrowing costs for a sample of large European banks. In doing so, the paper also investigates the ramifications of the ECB’s interventions on the health of the banking system. Furthermore, and building on Merton’s model, it proposes a simple measure of credit spreads that accounts for the nature of the credit risk profile of large financial institutions. The findings are unequivocal and suggest that higher default probabilities significantly explain the deteriorating ability of banks to borrow from the financial markets. More importantly, there is an increase in the degree to which default probabilities explain borrowing costs when policy measures undertaken by the ECB are incorporated. Conversely, the effect of the liquidity interventions is ambivalent: While liquidity measures directed towards the banking system have a curing effect on the borrowing costs of banks, those related to sovereigns seemingly have an impeding effect. [less ▲]

New Grand-Ducal Regulation on the film fund for audiovisual production

E-print/Working paper (2015)

The Impact of Uncertainty in the Oil and Gold Market on the Cross-Section

E-print/Working paper (2015)

Radical Innovation – A domain of SMEs? A novel test of the Schumpeterian Hypothesis

E-print/Working paper (2015)

The Schumpeterian Hypothesis has been subject to a plethora of research aiming at the provision of new insights to the relationship of innovation on firm size. Utilizing a panel of German companies in ... [more ▼]

The Schumpeterian Hypothesis has been subject to a plethora of research aiming at the provision of new insights to the relationship of innovation on firm size. Utilizing a panel of German companies in manufacturing industries from 1993-2011, this analysis explicitly distinguishes between radical and incremental innovation output. It reveals that firm size and radical innovation share an overall negative relationship, while the relationship between firm size and incremental innovation is positive. These results provide a novel explanation for the often-reported non-linear relationship between firm size and innovation. [less ▲]

The Transformation of the European Economic Constitution

E-print/Working paper (2015)

The current times of constitutional transformation in the EU place the following question on the agenda: Is the ongoing economic crisis demarcating the end of the original conception of a ‘European ... [more ▼]

The current times of constitutional transformation in the EU place the following question on the agenda: Is the ongoing economic crisis demarcating the end of the original conception of a ‘European Economic Constitution’ as it has developed since the early days of the EEC? Or are we witnessing simply a shift towards a new more encompassing model of an EU ‘Economic Constitution’ in which economic government and economic governance tools are used in parallel to deepen integration and continue the spill-over of economic integration into previously national policies? This contribution traces and evaluates conceptual, regulatory, institutional and legitimacy-related changes and challenges to the EU’s model of the ‘Economic Constitution’ as the basic legal framework and conceptions of EU law governing economic policy. This chapter argues that the EU’s constitutional framework in the form of the existing Treaties and General Principles of EU law did not provide an adequate legal framework to cope with the ongoing crisis. This failure has, in our view, initiated an ongoing transformation of the EU’s ‘Economic Constitution’ as we know it. Laying the foundations for the transformation took place in several consecutive steps mostly on the intergovernmental level and often as a combination of EU law, public international law and in some cases mixed with private law instruments. The nature of this development creates challenges regarding ensuring compliance of these newly developed structures with the Union’s foundational principles of ensuring transparency, democratic legitimacy, fundamental rights and effective review mechanisms in the context of a system under the rule of law. In order to illustrate the modes of the continuous transformation of the ‘Eoncomic Constitution’ and to evaluate the direction it is taking, this chapter will start with tracing its origins and follow its evolution over time. It thereby distinguishes two separate but interlinked elements of the ‘Economic Constitution.’ It first looks at the original focus of European regulation regarding what we refer to as ‘micro-economic’ matters with policies including competition law and the control of state aids. This chapter then turns to the evolving focus of EU law the larger questions of economic and fiscal policies which we refer to in the following as the ‘macro-economic’ element of the constitutional framework. [less ▲]

Increases in well-being after transition to retirement for unemployed. Catching up with formerly employed persons.

E-print/Working paper (2015)

This paper examines the extent to which well-being levels change in the transition to retirement depending on transitioning from being employed, unemployed, or economically inactive. Whereas transitioning ... [more ▼]

This paper examines the extent to which well-being levels change in the transition to retirement depending on transitioning from being employed, unemployed, or economically inactive. Whereas transitioning from employment to unemployment has been found to cause an increase in depressive symptoms or decline in life satisfaction with more time spent in unemployment, it is not clear to which extent transitioning from unemployment to retirement affects well-being levels compared to retiring after being employed or economically inactive. We use two waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe monitoring respondents transitioning to retirement and use life satisfaction as well-being measure. The effect of the transition is captured with a difference-in-difference like approach to test if the change in well-being after retirement is different for persons who were formerly unemployed or inactive, respectively, compared to formerly employed retirees. Results indicate that retiring from unemployment is associated with an increase in life satisfaction, but presents mainly a catching-up effect compared to employed persons transitioning to retirement. Retirement from labour market inactivity, especially sick leave, does not lead to significant changes in well-being. Findings are robust to selection into unemployment and country differences. As well-being of unemployed persons recovers after transitioning to retirement, especially the currently unemployed population should be supported to prevent detrimental consequences of economically unfavourable conditions and lower well-being. [less ▲]

Multilingualism in advertising and a shifting balance of languages in Luxembourg

E-print/Working paper (2015)

Much research on multilingualism in advertising has been undertaken in comparatively mono-lingual settings. Whereas such research may provide insights into the connotations of lan-guages used in ... [more ▼]

Much research on multilingualism in advertising has been undertaken in comparatively mono-lingual settings. Whereas such research may provide insights into the connotations of lan-guages used in advertising, research in more multilingual contexts can also provide different kinds of insights regarding the relative status of languages in a multilingual environment. This article focuses on multilingualism in written advertising in the highly multilingual setting of Luxembourg, where the language situation is currently undergoing significant change due to patterns of globalisation and migration. Analysis of a mixed corpus of advertisements, includ-ing 1,038 advertisements in the free daily newspaper l’Essentiel from 2009 to 2011, as well as selected further advertisements from elsewhere within Luxembourg’s linguistic landscape, reflects a move within Luxembourg in general from a longstanding trilingualism in French, German and Luxembourgish to different kinds of multilingualism, incorporating both the presence of new languages and changes in the relative roles of French, German and Luxem-bourgish. Particularly significant is the presence of Luxembourgish as a written language of advertising, whereas it traditionally functioned mainly as a spoken language in Luxembourg. The article presents the results of a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the advertisements and discusses how multilingualism in written advertising provides a pertinent window on changing forms of multilingualism in Luxembourg. [less ▲]

Does tax competition increase disparity among jurisdictions?

E-print/Working paper (2015)

This paper investigates whether a less-developed economy can catch up with a more developed one when they compete for foreign direct investments. The main message of the paper is that jurisdictional ... [more ▼]

This paper investigates whether a less-developed economy can catch up with a more developed one when they compete for foreign direct investments. The main message of the paper is that jurisdictional competition can enable the lagging country to catch up if capital mobility is sufficiently high and the productivity gap is not too large. Further, we show that size asymmetry reinforces (weakens) the productivity catch-up resulting from interjurisdictional competition when the lagging economy is small (large). Finally, we demonstrate that the development gap widens when capital becomes less mobile, which is at odds with previous findings. [less ▲]

Stochastic stability of endogenous growth: Theory and applications

E-print/Working paper (2015)

We examine the issue of stability of stochastic endogenous growth. First, stochastic stability concepts are introduced and applied to stochastic linear homogenous differen- tial equations to which several ... [more ▼]

We examine the issue of stability of stochastic endogenous growth. First, stochastic stability concepts are introduced and applied to stochastic linear homogenous differen- tial equations to which several stochastic endogenous growth models reduce. Second, we apply the mathematical theory to two models, starting with the stochastic AK model. It’s shown that in this case exponential balanced paths, which characterize optimal trajectories in the absence of uncertainty, are not robust to uncertainty: the economy may almost surely collapse at exponential speed even though productivity is initially arbitrarily high. Finally, we revisit the seminal global diversification endogenous growth model (Obstfeld, 1994): taking into account stochastic stability calls for a redefinition of the mean growth concept, which leads to revisit the established wisdom on the growth effect of global diversification. [less ▲]

Large Galois images for Jacobian varieties of genus 3 curves

E-print/Working paper (2015)

Given a prime number l greater than or equal to 5, we construct an infinite family of three-dimensional abelian varieties over Q such that, for any A/Q in the family, the Galois representation \rho_{A, l ... [more ▼]

Given a prime number l greater than or equal to 5, we construct an infinite family of three-dimensional abelian varieties over Q such that, for any A/Q in the family, the Galois representation \rho_{A, l}: Gal_Q -> GSp(6, l) attached to the l-torsion of A is surjective. Any such variety A will be the Jacobian of a genus 3 curve over Q whose respective reductions at two auxiliary primes we prescribe to provide us with generators of Sp(6, l). [less ▲]

International vergleichende Analyse von Einrichtungen und Arbeitszusammenhängen der Interkulturalitätsforschung

E-print/Working paper (2015)

Die vorliegende vergleichende Analyse von Einrichtungen und Arbeitszusammenhängen der Interkulturalitätsforschung wurde im Zuge der Einrichtungen des fakultären Schwerpunktbereichs MIS – Mehrsprachigkeit ... [more ▼]

Die vorliegende vergleichende Analyse von Einrichtungen und Arbeitszusammenhängen der Interkulturalitätsforschung wurde im Zuge der Einrichtungen des fakultären Schwerpunktbereichs MIS – Mehrsprachigkeit und Interkulturelle Studien durchgeführt. Ziel war es zentrale Orientierungspunkte für eine strategische Positionierung und für zukünftige Entwicklungslinien des Schwerpunktbereichs zu gewinnen. Dafür wurden die Internetseiten von 64 vergleichbaren Einrichtungen bzw. Arbeitszusammenhängen der Interkulturalitätsforschung inhaltsanalytisch untersucht. Zur Stichprobe zählen in erster Linie eigenständige Zentren und Institute/Abteilungen aus dem universitären Kontext mit international breit gestreuten Standorten; Arbeitszusammenhänge bzw. Einrichtungen aus dem deutschsprachigen Raum sind besonders gut vertreten. [less ▲]

Invariant dimensions and maximality of geometric monodromy action

E-print/Working paper (2015)

Model categorical Koszul-Tate resolution for algebras over differential operators

E-print/Working paper (2015)

Regular and irregular holonomic D-modules

E-print/Working paper (2015)

Espaces de frontière. Penser et analyser la frontière en tant qu’espace

E-print/Working paper (2015)

Les frontières se différencient non seulement en fonction des domaines d'étude où elles sont opérantes ou dans lesquels elles se constituent, mais également en termes de modes de (re)production et de ... [more ▼]

Les frontières se différencient non seulement en fonction des domaines d'étude où elles sont opérantes ou dans lesquels elles se constituent, mais également en termes de modes de (re)production et de formes. Cette communication traitera en premier lieu de la forme de la frontière, sachant que ce n’est pas la frontière territoriale en tant que ligne qui importera, mais plutôt son caractère zonal et la question de savoir comment il est possible de l'aborder dans une perspective théorico-conceptuelle aux fins de l’étude empirique. Il est plus judicieux de considérer les frontières territoriales comme zones ou espaces, la métaphore de la ligne s'avérant une pure fiction. Jusqu’au XVIIIe siècle, les frontières étaient conçues comme des espaces de contact et des zones de transition (convoitées), ce n’est qu’avec l’avènement d’États nationaux modernes que s’établit le concept de frontière comme ligne – sans qu’elle n’ait perdu empiriquement son caractère zonal. C’est ce qu’on peut notamment constater dans les régions transfrontalières où les frontières territoriales ne peuvent se réduire à leur fonction de différenciation ou de passerelle, mais au contraire s’élargissent – comme le montre la mobilité transfrontalière des travailleurs, des consommateurs ainsi que la mobilité résidentielle – se transformant ainsi en zones de l'entre-deux. Ces zones ne peuvent pas être concédées aux espaces situés en deçà et au-delà d’une frontière territoriale, elles représentent en revanche des espaces autonomes, lesdits « espaces de frontière » qui revêtent une identité liminale. L'objet de cette communication est de savoir comment il est possible de décrire et d'étudier de tels espaces que l'on peut observer comme productions quotidiennes. Il s’agit (1) de percevoir de manière conceptuelle le caractère zonal de la frontière, donc la dimension spatiale, (2) le potentiel innovateur et imprévisible de la liminalité et ainsi la contingence sociale. La géographie sociale et la sociologie de la culture en livrent des points de départ pertinents. La mise en relation d’approches concernant l’espace et la pratique sociale issues de ces deux disciplines représente la base du modèle « espaces de frontière » qui permet de penser les frontières en tant qu’espaces et met en place une heuristique destinée à l’étude de constitutions spatiales centrées sur le sujet comme (re)productions des frontières. Les pratiques sociales, la connaissance pratique ainsi que les aspects physico-matériels et socio-structurels tels qu'ils sont appropriés et engendrés par les « frontaliers » dans des références transfrontalières, font partie des catégories d'analyse. [less ▲]

Accelerating the DC algorithm for smooth functions

E-print/Working paper (2015)

We introduce two new algorithms to minimise smooth difference of convex (DC) functions that accelerate the convergence of the classical DC algorithm (DCA). We prove that the point computed by DCA can be ... [more ▼]

We introduce two new algorithms to minimise smooth difference of convex (DC) functions that accelerate the convergence of the classical DC algorithm (DCA). We prove that the point computed by DCA can be used to define a descent direction for the objective function evaluated at this point. Our algorithms are based on a combination of DCA together with a line search step that uses this descent direction. Convergence of the algorithms is proved and the rate of convergence is analysed under the Łojasiewicz property of the objective function. We apply our algorithms to a class of smooth DC programs arising in the study of biochemical reaction networks, where the objective function is real analytic and thus satisfies the Łojasiewicz property. Numerical tests on various biochemical models clearly show that our algorithms outperforms DCA, being on average more than four times faster in both computational time and the number of iterations. The algorithms are globally convergent to a non-equilibrium steady state of a biochemical network, with only chemically consistent restrictions on the network topology. [less ▲]

Wohnmobilität in der Großregion - eine interurbane Diskursanalyse

E-print/Working paper (2015)

“Je t’aime, moi non plus” : this is how the French newspaper L’Express (2011, p. II) summarises the transnational linkages of Luxembourg with its neighbouring countries. On the one hand, the ‘economic ... [more ▼]

“Je t’aime, moi non plus” : this is how the French newspaper L’Express (2011, p. II) summarises the transnational linkages of Luxembourg with its neighbouring countries. On the one hand, the ‘economic engine’ Luxembourg offers workplaces for many commuters, positively affecting the development of this European cross-border polycentric metropolitan region; on the other hand, negative consequences such as the overcrowded real estate mar-ket in Luxembourg continue beyond the national border and affect neighbouring housing markets. The ‘2020 Concept for the Region Trier’ shows that city councils perceive the prox-imity to Luxembourg as an opportunity for the development of the city. Simultaneously, lo-cals might feel displaced due to increasing rents and house prices, and develop resentment vis-à-vis their new neighbours, coming either from Luxembourg, or being Belgian, German or French nationals (labour migrants) that have moved to the border region to work in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, thus disposing of higher purchase power. Depending on the context, similar effects can thus be perceived very differently by city councils or planners and the local population. So far, studies dealing with the processes of transmigration have mostly focussed on indi-vidual motives of migrants, whereas impacts on the regions of destination have not been explored. The aim of this study is to explore ongoing discourses dealing with spatial impacts in relation to urban housing markets within the Greater Region. The focus will be on the cit-ies Arlon (BE), Metz and Thionville (FR), and Trier (DE). Therefore mixed methods will be de-ployed. Firstly, a quantitative analysis is planned to reveal the magnitude and the spatial distribution of the (cross-border) residential mobility. The evolution of housing prices and rents as well as population dynamics will be examined. Secondly, ongoing discourses and the changes of life-worlds will be studied using quantitative methods as well as qualitative methods, such as content analysis, to review the guiding principles of municipal policy and urban planning documents. A quantitative analysis of local newspapers will be conducted to analyse public opinion. A content analysis of this material will follow. The method mix allows us to better understand “material” evolutions and to trace the current discourses within this field. Discourse approaches have become common in interdis-ciplinary social science academic research. However, there are no established theoretical and methodological guidelines for applying these approaches. This project has to deal with this situation and to take into account different cultural backgrounds and discussion levels. This study will help to frame today’s situation and aims to develop sustainable solutions for future urban planning. [less ▲]

How a Brexit Would Influence the British Economy. A Four-Part Brexit Blog

E-print/Working paper (2015)

Competition among Coalitions in a Cournot Industry: A Validation of the Porter Hypothesis

E-print/Working paper (2015)

Museums: Luxembourg

E-print/Working paper (2015)

Realization spaces of algebraic structures on chains

E-print/Working paper (2015)

Given an algebraic structure on the homology of a chain complex, we define its realization space as a Kan complex whose vertices are the structures up to homotopy realizing this structure at the homology ... [more ▼]

Given an algebraic structure on the homology of a chain complex, we define its realization space as a Kan complex whose vertices are the structures up to homotopy realizing this structure at the homology level. Our algebraic structures are parametrised by props and thus include various kinds of bialgebras. We give a general formula to compute subsets of equivalences classes of realizations as quotients of automorphism groups, and determine the higher homotopy groups via the cohomology of deformation complexes. As a motivating example, we compute subsets of equivalences classes of realizations of Poincar\'e duality for several examples of manifolds. [less ▲]

Gauweiler and OMT: Lessons for EU Public Law and the European Economic and Monetary Union

E-print/Working paper (2015)

Do exceptional situations make exceptional good or exceptionally bad law? This is an old question often asked anew – especially in the context of the post-2008 economic crises travails of the European ... [more ▼]

Do exceptional situations make exceptional good or exceptionally bad law? This is an old question often asked anew – especially in the context of the post-2008 economic crises travails of the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). The legal disputes which resulted from differing opinions about how to solve the crises and also how, incidentally, to improve the EMU’s governance have reached the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). The most prominent case to date is the so called Gauweiler case, a preliminary reference procedure initiated by the German Constitutional Court, the Bundesverfassungsgericht (BVerfG). [less ▲]

The projective linear supergroup and the SUSY-preserving automorphisms of P^1|1

E-print/Working paper (2015)

The purpose of this paper is to describe the projective linear supergroup, its relation with the automorphisms of the projective superspace and to determine the supergroup of SUSY preserving automorphisms ... [more ▼]

The purpose of this paper is to describe the projective linear supergroup, its relation with the automorphisms of the projective superspace and to determine the supergroup of SUSY preserving automorphisms of ${\mathbf P}^{1|1}$ [less ▲]

Flat Z-graded connections and loop spaces

E-print/Working paper (2015)

The pull back of a flat bundle E→X along the evaluation map π:LX→X from the free loop space LX to X comes equipped with a canonical automorphism given by the holonomies of E. This construction naturally ... [more ▼]

The pull back of a flat bundle E→X along the evaluation map π:LX→X from the free loop space LX to X comes equipped with a canonical automorphism given by the holonomies of E. This construction naturally generalizes to flat Z-graded connections on X. Our main result is that the restriction of this holonomy automorphism to the based loop space ΩX of X provides an A-infinity quasi-equivalence between the dg category of flat Z-graded connections on X and the dg category of representations of C(ΩX), the dg algebra of singular chains on ΩX. [less ▲]

Studying employers’ risk assessment and the role of institutions: An experimental design

E-print/Working paper (2015)

Work Package 7 aims at understanding how early job insecurity can affect an individual’s future career from an employer’s perspective. By paying special attention to the educational background and gender ... [more ▼]

Work Package 7 aims at understanding how early job insecurity can affect an individual’s future career from an employer’s perspective. By paying special attention to the educational background and gender of the applicants, we plan to investigate how employers interpret young applicants’ job insecurity, for example in the form of unemployment or job-mismatch experiences, during recruitment. The negative effects of such experiences on an individual’s chances of being recruited successfully – so called scarring effects – may further vary depending on economic and institutional contexts such as country-specific economic or political conditions, educational structures or economic sectors. By surveying employers from different sectors, we will examine if and how these scarring effects vary between four different countries: Bulgaria, Greece, Norway and Switzerland. We will apply an innovative methodology in the form of an employer-sided survey with an integrated multidimensional vignette experiment in order to simulate the impact of multiple factor s on success and failure when young people who experienced job insecurities apply for new jobs. In the present working paper we summarise the major theoretical concepts that have been used to explain the scarring effects that can result from employer behaviour. Moreover, we outline how we plan to collect data in WP 7 in order to analyse scarring through decision-making on behalf of employers during the recruitment process [less ▲]