Dismantling terrorist networks: Evaluating strategic options using agent-based modeling

Dismantling dark networks remains a critical goal for the peace and security of our society. Terrorist networks are the most prominent instantiation of dark networks, and they are alive and well. Attempts to preemptively disrupt these networks and their activities have met with both success and failure. In this paper, we examine the impacts of four common strategies for dismantling terrorist networks. The four strategies are: leader-focused, grassroots, geographic, and random. Each of these strategies has associated pros and cons, and each has different impacts on the structure and capabilities of a terrorist network. Employing a computational experimentation methodology, we simulate a terrorist network and test the effects of each strategy on the resiliency of that network. In addition, we test scenarios in which the terrorist network has (or does not have) information about an impending attack. Our work takes a structural perspective to the challenge of addressing terrorist networks. Specifically, we show how various strategies impact the structure of the network in terms of its resiliency and capacity to carry out future attacks. This paper also provides a valuable overview of how to use agent-based modeling for the study of complex problems in the terrorism, conflict studies, and security study domains.     

Mobile phone termination charges with asymmetric regulation

We model competition between two unregulated mobile phone companies with price-elastic demand and less than full market coverage. We also assume that there is a regulated full-coverage fixed network. In order to induce stronger competition, mobile companies could have an incentive to raise their reciprocal mobile-to-mobile access charges above the marginal costs of termination. Stronger competition leads to an increase of the mobiles’ market shares, with the advantage that (genuine) network effects are strengthened. Therefore, ‘collusion’ may well be in line with social welfare.      

城市地下管道信息服务平台建设探讨

随着我国城市化水平的不断提高,城市空间拥挤、交通阻塞、环境恶化、资源匮乏等问题愈演愈烈,向高空要空间、向地下要空间,已经成为增强城市功能、改善城市环境的必要手段.[1]作为城市重要基础的城市地下空间设施规模越来越庞大、密集,种类越来越多,结构越来越复杂,地下管道作为城市的“生命线”,需要建立一个公共的城市地下管道信息服...     

Publish or peer-rich? The role of skills and networks in hiring economics professors

This paper analyzes the determinants of success at the concours d'agrégation en sciences économiques. This is a centralized hiring procedure through which professors of economics are selected in France. Using detailed data from all concours held between 1984 and 2003, we focus on the role of the candidates' publication records (number and quality of articles) and networks (defined as professional links between candidates and the jury members who take the recruitment decisions). Both sets of variables have statistically significant effects on the likelihood of getting hired. The effect of network connections is important in the sense that a substantial improvement of the publication record is needed to compensate for not being linked to the jury.     

具有网络效应的产品的价格竞争分析

具有网络效应的产品是指消费者在消费这种产品时所获得的效用会随着购买这种产品的其他消费者数量的增加而不断增加的产品。本文通过建立一个有两个厂商的离散动态决策模型,研究在分散决策的市场经济中生产具有网络效应的产品的厂商的价格决策对产品市场占有率的影响,价格决策影响产品市场占有率的动态演化的过程,以及市场均衡的务件和特征,包括产品不占有市场、占有部分市场以及上有今都市场的价格条件。     

In search of stars: Network formation among heterogeneous agents

This paper reports results from a laboratory experiment on network formation among heterogeneous agents. The experimental design extends the Bala–Goyal [Bala, V., Goyal, S., 2000. A non-cooperative model of network formation, Econometrica 68, 1131–1230] model of network formation with decay and two-way flow of benefits by introducing agents with lower linking costs or higher benefits to others. Furthermore, agents' types may be common knowledge or private information. In all treatments, the (efficient) equilibrium network has a “star” structure. While equilibrium predictions fail completely with homogeneous agents, star networks frequently occur with heterogeneous agents. Stars are not born but rather develop: with a high-value agent, the network's centrality, stability, and efficiency all increase over time. A structural econometric model based on best response dynamics and other-regarding preferences is used to analyze individual linking behavior. Maximum-likelihood estimates of the underlying structural parameters, obtained by pooling data from several treatments, allow us to explain the main treatment effects.     

互联网对党员生活方式的影响及其应对

共产党员的生活方式是无产阶级政党阶级属性的社会体现,是党员的现实社会活动的综合表现,其实质是党员以党性为基本规定所表现出来的社会生活稳定形式和行为特征。在政党政治时代,党员的生活方式问题具有某种公共性。互联网对党员生活方式具有复杂的影响,必须对党员的生活方式进行正确定位和积极应对。     

Evolution of networks—an experimental analysis

It is the main aim of our paper to study network formation in experimental setups in discrete and continuous time. Our design is inspired by the theoretical model on network formation by Bala and Goyal (Econometrica, 68(5): 1181–1229, 2000) as well as the experiments by Callander and Plott (J. Public Econ., 89: 1469–1495, 2005) and Falk and Kosfeld (IEW Working Paper, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland, No. 146, 2003). In particular, we analyze the role of star-shaped networks which are strict Nash-equilibria of the corresponding network formation game. Our experimental results show that strict Nash networks prove to be a good indicator for predicting network formation, particularly in continuous time. In explaining our results, it turns out that, among others, the complexity in coordinating on stars, the inequity aversion against unequal payoff distribution in the network, and the groups’ degrees of activity are the most important determinants for the formation of strict Nash networks.      

Extending the service-dominant logic: from customer centricity to balanced centricity

This is a contribution to the reorientation of marketing. It aligns the service-dominant logic with other developments in marketing and management. It claims that the marketing concept and customer-centricity are too limited as a foundation for marketing and have not—and cannot—but partially be implemented in practice. It urges marketing scholars and educators to accept the complexity of marketing and develop and teach a network-based stakeholder approach—balanced centricity—epitomized by the concept of many-to-many marketing.     

内生性产业集群、产业分工网络和产业生产价值链——一个基于分工演进和专业化的产业发展分析的新框架

文章以内生性的专业化和分工为基础,构建了一个内生性产业集群和产业分工网络发展的一般均衡模型,分析了在经济一体化背景下产业集群、产业分工网络和专业化生产之间的内在关联和作用规律。模型的结论认为,国家(产业)间的制度效率与竞争强度之间存在着循环效应,而这种循环效应能够决定产业集群的布局和配置,决定各国在产业价值链上的位置,并最终决定经济增长的状态。尤其是,一国技术(经济)系统的制度效率的进步将会增加市场交易的需求,进而扩展产业分工的网络规模;而这又将推动产业集群的发展,扩大产业网络的范围,提升该国在产业生产价值链上的位置。