Investment Approaches and Applications in Financial Markets: Evolutionary Kernel Based Subset Time-Series Using Semi-Parametric Approaches. The project will develop new investment assessments based on subset time-series modeling. Innovative evolutionary kernel smoothing algorithms using semi-parametric approaches will be introduced. The project will make three important applications of this modeling in financial markets: a) benchmarking and evaluation of inflation-indexed bonds; b) evaluation of ....Investment Approaches and Applications in Financial Markets: Evolutionary Kernel Based Subset Time-Series Using Semi-Parametric Approaches. The project will develop new investment assessments based on subset time-series modeling. Innovative evolutionary kernel smoothing algorithms using semi-parametric approaches will be introduced. The project will make three important applications of this modeling in financial markets: a) benchmarking and evaluation of inflation-indexed bonds; b) evaluation of the performance of global diversified investment funds; and c) prediction to provide early warning of the emergence of destabilising deflation or inflation. These three applications will lead to improved risk management practices and investment performance. Recursive algorithms will provide new statistical methods to study investment asset price movements and market volatility.
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Investment approaches and opportunities in renewable energy and financial resource markets, using semi-parametric approaches to evolutionary subset time-series lattice-ladder modelling. The project findings will help Australian exporters and importers understand and manage energy and resource price risks more effectively. The investment community will benefit through selecting optimal asset allocations and enhancing value to investors. It will also benefit many other agencies, particularly in th ....Investment approaches and opportunities in renewable energy and financial resource markets, using semi-parametric approaches to evolutionary subset time-series lattice-ladder modelling. The project findings will help Australian exporters and importers understand and manage energy and resource price risks more effectively. The investment community will benefit through selecting optimal asset allocations and enhancing value to investors. It will also benefit many other agencies, particularly in the service industries. It is not well recognised that in developed countries, including Australia, the financial service and related sectors account for more than 60 percent of economic activity and employment, so it is critical that more sophisticated statistical methods be established, and practical applications conducted, in order to advance the understanding of complexity management in the financial service and related sectors.Read moreRead less
Nonsmooth Optimization in Constrained Spline Interpolation. Traditional methods based on standard calculus may not work for optimization problems with constraints; however, such problems can be reformulated as nonsmooth problems that need special treatment. The project aims to approach several important problems in constrained spline interpolation and approximation, from the perspective of nonsmooth optimization. The research, which builds upon a recent breakthrough in the approach to the convex ....Nonsmooth Optimization in Constrained Spline Interpolation. Traditional methods based on standard calculus may not work for optimization problems with constraints; however, such problems can be reformulated as nonsmooth problems that need special treatment. The project aims to approach several important problems in constrained spline interpolation and approximation, from the perspective of nonsmooth optimization. The research, which builds upon a recent breakthrough in the approach to the convex best interpolation by the applicant and his collaborators, is expected to provide fundamental theory for Newton-type methods being used for these problems with a vast number of applications in data fitting and curve and surface design.Read moreRead less
Risk Measures and Management in Finance and Actuarial Science Under Regime-Switching Models. New models for assessing and managing risk of financial products will place Australia at the forefront of risk management. The work will also sustain the competitive edge of Australia as one of the major financial centres in the Asia-Pacific region through enhancing both the theory and practice of financial risk management. The project outcome will also benefit to the country in other areas of risk, for ....Risk Measures and Management in Finance and Actuarial Science Under Regime-Switching Models. New models for assessing and managing risk of financial products will place Australia at the forefront of risk management. The work will also sustain the competitive edge of Australia as one of the major financial centres in the Asia-Pacific region through enhancing both the theory and practice of financial risk management. The project outcome will also benefit to the country in other areas of risk, for example, environment risk, climate change, and energy and security problems.Read moreRead less
Market Model of Implied Volatility. The outcomes of the project will constitute a new methodology with a wide range of tools to handle the market uncertainties with practical applications in the finance industry. Consequently, the benefits of this project to the nation include enhancing its scientific standing in the international community, the training of Australian researchers in forefront methods of modelling of complex stochastic systems and the benefits resulting from its commercially rele ....Market Model of Implied Volatility. The outcomes of the project will constitute a new methodology with a wide range of tools to handle the market uncertainties with practical applications in the finance industry. Consequently, the benefits of this project to the nation include enhancing its scientific standing in the international community, the training of Australian researchers in forefront methods of modelling of complex stochastic systems and the benefits resulting from its commercially relevant elements. Read moreRead less
Polar Cap Region Boundary Dynamics. Geomagnetic storms have the potential to severely impair critical technology infrastructure. Consequences of strong geomagnetic activity can include power failures, pipeline corrosion, satellite failures, inaccurate GPS positioning and radio navigation. Knowledge of how, where and under which conditions this activity occurs is therefore crucial. The primary aim of this project is to extend our knowledge of the mechanisms by which this activity occurs. This wor ....Polar Cap Region Boundary Dynamics. Geomagnetic storms have the potential to severely impair critical technology infrastructure. Consequences of strong geomagnetic activity can include power failures, pipeline corrosion, satellite failures, inaccurate GPS positioning and radio navigation. Knowledge of how, where and under which conditions this activity occurs is therefore crucial. The primary aim of this project is to extend our knowledge of the mechanisms by which this activity occurs. This work will consolidate Australia's international space profile and provide excellent training in this field, helping Australia's future technology development.Read moreRead less
Unified approach for the stability analysis of large concrete dams due to ageing degradation. The expected outcome of this research is the availability of an innovative methodology for the safety assessment of aged concrete dams. Most of the concrete dams built in Australia and elsewhere have been in service for over 50 years. Degradation effects on aged concrete dams, and resistant ability of such aged concrete dams against hostile natural events, such as earthquakes, are of great concern for e ....Unified approach for the stability analysis of large concrete dams due to ageing degradation. The expected outcome of this research is the availability of an innovative methodology for the safety assessment of aged concrete dams. Most of the concrete dams built in Australia and elsewhere have been in service for over 50 years. Degradation effects on aged concrete dams, and resistant ability of such aged concrete dams against hostile natural events, such as earthquakes, are of great concern for engineers. The safety assessment of aged concrete dams can be done rationally by the proposed method which will provide a better knowledge of the ageing effects on concrete dams. The approach will provide a tool for rational decision-making as to the structural rehabilitation of large concrete dams affected by ageing degradation.Read moreRead less
The rise of empiricism and the attempt to produce a unified understanding of the world, 1680-1750. Empiricism is often regarded as the characterising feature of modern scientific method, and, in those approaches to psychology and the social and economic sciences that seek to model themselves on successful scientific practice in the physical and life sciences, it often acts as a model of good practice. The project examines the original form of empiricism and shows how it was able to directly enga ....The rise of empiricism and the attempt to produce a unified understanding of the world, 1680-1750. Empiricism is often regarded as the characterising feature of modern scientific method, and, in those approaches to psychology and the social and economic sciences that seek to model themselves on successful scientific practice in the physical and life sciences, it often acts as a model of good practice. The project examines the original form of empiricism and shows how it was able to directly engage questions of value in a novel and revealing way, and how its connection with 'hard' sciences was not merely to provide a methodological gloss on these, but went to the core of what scientific explanation consisted in.Read moreRead less
John Locke, botany and natural kinds. This project will enhance the status of research into early modern science and philosophy in Australia. It is a project of major significance in Locke studies and in the history of botany and it will impinge on a number of current philosophical debates to which Australians are already making a major contribution: the nature of biological species; natural kinds; and scientific method. Those who work on early modern thought in Australia will also benefit from ....John Locke, botany and natural kinds. This project will enhance the status of research into early modern science and philosophy in Australia. It is a project of major significance in Locke studies and in the history of botany and it will impinge on a number of current philosophical debates to which Australians are already making a major contribution: the nature of biological species; natural kinds; and scientific method. Those who work on early modern thought in Australia will also benefit from the close relationship that will be established between the University of Sydney and Oxford University. The publications issuing from the project will be of international significance.Read moreRead less
Idealism, Pragmatism, and the Historical Norms of Rationality. This project engages critically with the remarkable "normative pragmatics" of Robert Brandom, essentially the first analytic philosopher in a century to defend Hegel's "logic" from a modern logical perspective. It develops Brandom's suggested "inferentialist" interpretation of Hegel, but shows how a presupposition distorts both Brandom's reading of Hegel and his substantive account of the norms of reason. A corrective is developed on ....Idealism, Pragmatism, and the Historical Norms of Rationality. This project engages critically with the remarkable "normative pragmatics" of Robert Brandom, essentially the first analytic philosopher in a century to defend Hegel's "logic" from a modern logical perspective. It develops Brandom's suggested "inferentialist" interpretation of Hegel, but shows how a presupposition distorts both Brandom's reading of Hegel and his substantive account of the norms of reason. A corrective is developed on the basis of the later work of Brandom's mentor, Wilfrid Sellars. The corrected account shows how the norms of thought need not be eternal to be rational, but rather, are rational because of the way they are historical.Read moreRead less