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Tools for Decision Making under Uncertainty
Sečkárová, Vladimíra
In this paper we focus on two often considered distinct aims, namely maximizing of an utility function (e.g. an investment profit) and getting a more reliable global description of considered situation based on observed data (e.g. the final outcome of databases merging). In both cases we face the problem, that the data are unreliable, since they contain uncertainty caused by their source (i.e. human being). If we are looking for the optimum of the former aim, a game theory reformulation of the decision making task brings a smoother way to reach it. If the latter aim is considered, a merging procedure (also called fusion) processing the data should help us. This paper describes four recently developed methods dealing with decision making under uncertainty in two considered directions and one tool used for comparison of the fusion algorithms.
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Fed's Easy Money Policy during Alan Greenspan's presidency in Board of Governors (1987-2006)
Mašek, František ; Johnson, Zdenka (advisor) ; Tajovský, Ladislav (referee)
The main theme of the work is the Fed's monetary policy during the time, when chairman of the Board of Governors was Alan Greenspan. The greatest attention is aimed at the influence of Fed's expansive monetary policy on the so-called dot-com bubble and later mortgage crisis, which subsequently developer into the financial crisis. Through a thorough analysis of many scientific papers written by known economists and my own analysis and evalution I opine that the effect of expansionary monetary policy on the bubble in technological assets and mortgage crisis is rather minor. Fed subordinated all actions to achieve its monetary policy objectives, so criticism of its conducted monetary policy is essentially a critique of these objectives as such. I consider the emergence of new technologies and the so-called theory of feedback as the main cause of dot-com bubble. In the mortgage crisis and subsequent financial crisis as main determinants I consider reluctance of goverment officials strongly regulate activities of investment banks and other investment companies, moral hazard, failure of rating agencies, and federal support for home ownership coupled with the deregulation of the financial sector.
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Private equity fund greenhouse business plan focusing on the financials
Bartoš, Jan ; Krause, Josef (advisor) ; Machek, Ondřej (referee)
The thesis analyses and discusses the creation of a business plan inside a private equity fund. The business plan deals with the development and management of a fully illuminated and heated greenhouse and focuses mostly on the financial part, due to reasons explained in the thesis. In the theoretical section, the author discusses the developments in the entrepreneurship and private equity field and follows by describing the important terms concerning a business plan, its structure and the approach to its creation. The practical section deals with the circumstances in which this business opportunity is considered and covers the business plan itself, specifically the market analysis, marketing approach, operational side and financials in detail. The aim of this exercise is to validate the market expectations and economic rentability of the whole project. To this end the author utilizes several standardized criterions for investment assessment.
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Multicriteria games
Tichá, Michaela ; Dlouhý, Martin (advisor) ; Lachout, Petr (referee) ; Čičková, Zuzana (referee)
Theory of multicriteria games is a special field of game theory, when one or more players have at least two payoff functions and want to maximize simultaneously. The work introduces a number of new findings. It examined the concept of finding equilibria in pure strategies in noncooperative multicriteria game. It is possible to find all the equilibria in pure strategies by full search and solving two linear programs for each point. Furthermore, two linear programs are formulated for verifying that a selected point is the equilibrium of the game or not. In the noncooperative games is also introduced the concept that with knowledge of the equilibrium of bimatrix game determines preferences of the players. Although finding the equilibrium point of the bimatrix game is nonlinear problem, finding the preferences is linear problem. The latest findings in the noncooperative games is a generalization of the concept that solves multicriteria game by assigning weights to each criterion of each player. The work demonstrates that it may not be necessarily linear weights, but it can be more general function that describes the player's preference. The remaining part is devoted to knowledge in cooperative games. There is considered that the players know their preferences and are able to express them by weights. The game with known preferences is defined and solved with the use of bargaining theory. Then it is generalized to a case where players have more payoff functions, from which they can choose. Finally, the multicriteria case of voting game is defined. It is designed completely new concept, which selects the winning coalition in the voting game. This concept is then applied to the real situation after the elections to the Chamber of Deputies in 2013.
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Multimedia communication
Vondra, Zdeněk ; Horný, Stanislav (advisor) ; Skrbek, Jan (referee) ; Jurášková, Olga (referee)
Multimedia is a form of communication and sharing knowledge using synergic effect of parallel connected communication channels. Its main use is in producing communications products and services and in design of user interfaces. Main objective of this dissertation is to develop and create a model of multimedia communication for better understanding of the meaning and the purpose of using multimedia forms in communication process. The model will describe a system of elements and parameters of multimedia communication within the internal and external context. Another objective of this dissertation is to develop multimedia communication methodology that will be used for the design, development and evaluations of concepts of multimedia communication. The methodology will be created by applying the model of multimedia communication into the procedure structure. In theoretical way this dissertation is based on analysis of different definitions and approaches to the multimedia communications topic. This is followed by an analysis of communication theories, concepts of media, multimedia, delivery channels, and communication functions. The theoretical part is followed by the outcomes of the research in practice of four different fields of multimedia use. The knowledge gained is analyzed in the following parts in purpose of creating the model of multimedia communication and the methodology which is derived from the model. The methodology is further validated through case studies and the recommendations for further development are formulated. The model and the methodology of multimedia communication created in this dissertation present complex view on multimedia communication topic that is considered as a useful tool for meeting a specific communication purpose. Dissertation provides mechanics for use and study of multimedia communication and also defines the opportunities for further development of the methodology.
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A Comparison of Preconditioning Methods for Saddle Point Problems with an Application to Porous Media Flow Problems
Axelsson, Owe ; Blaheta, Radim ; Hasal, Martin
The paper overviews and compares some block preconditioners for the solution of saddle point systems, especially systems arising from the Brinkman model of porous media flow. The considered preconditioners involve different Schur complements as inverse free Schur complement in HSS (Hermitian - Skew Hermitian Splitting preconditioner), Schur complement to the velocity matrix and finally Schur complement to a regularization block in the augmented matrix preconditioner. The inverses appearing in most of the considered Schur complements are approximated by simple sparse approximation techniques as element-by-element and Frobenius norm minimization approaches. A special interest is devoted to problems involving various Darcy, Stokes and Brinkman flow regions, the efficiency of preconditioners in this case is demonstrated by some numerical experiments.
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Access to Information and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters in the Republic of Irealand and the Czech Republic
Vítková, Martina ; Stejskal, Vojtěch (advisor) ; Sobotka, Michal (referee)
This diploma thesis deals with access to environmental information and access to justice in environmental matters introduced by Aarhus Convention in the specific conditions of Czech Republic and Ireland. These rights are considered to be very important tools for environmental protection. At a time when people threaten their own existence by negative interference with the environment it is necessary that effective means for its protection exist. These means are access to environmental information and access to justice in environmental matters, which together can be called as environmental procedural rights. The first chapter of this thesis presents the sources of environmental procedural law and observes the development of law at international, European and national level. The most important international document in this field is the Aarhus Convention that was adopted in 1998 by most of the European countries and that provides for access to environmental information, access to justice and public participation in environmental decision-making. This convention has largely affected the law of the European Union, where several directives has been adopted, including most importantly the Directive 2003/4/EC on access to environmental information and the Directive 2003/35/EC on public participation in...
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Introduction to bio art
Šperanda, Nina ; SILVERIO, Robert (advisor) ; JANOŠČÍK, Václav (referee)
Bio art is a contemporary art practice that works with living organisms (except humans) or is created in cooperation with living organisms. It is relatively new art movement that is rooted deeply inside the history of evolution, domestication of animals and plants, technological discoveries, their development and science. Never before was art questioning its ethics and aesthetics in such profound, molecular and sub-molecular way.
In this work I will consider the historical influences and conditions that led to current developments in the field. I will also try to explain the problematics of defining what bio art is and try to clarify the associated terminology. Most relevant and ground breaking works in the field will be mentioned as some new recent developments.
Aesthetics of bio art is also an important subject often set aside by the ado around ethics of it. It is an extremely important subject to be considered when talking about bio art and I will try to sketch out a brief outline of it with references to philosophy and contemporary bio art theory.
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NUMERICAL ESTIMATION OF MICRO-CRACK PATHS IN POLYMER PARTICULATE COMPOSITE
Majer, Z. ; Náhlík, Luboš
Determination of composite mechanical behavior is one of important part during the composite tailoring. The aim of the present work was to estimate a micro-crack behavior in a polymer particulate composite. The composite was investigated by means of the finite element method -using ANSYS software. A two-dimensional three-phase finite element model was developed to analyze the crack growth behavior. The assumptions of the linear elastic fracture mechanics were considered and the Maximum Tangential Stress (MTS) criterion was used to predict the direction of the crack propagation. The effect of the elastic modulus of the interphase on the micro-crack propagation was investigated. The properties of matrix and particles were taken from experiment. It was shown that the interphase properties influence the stress intensity factor KI as well as the micro-crack paths. The results of this paper can contribute to a better understanding of the micro-crack propagation in particulate composites with respect to the interphase.
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Arctic tundra dendrochronology
Lehejček, Jiří ; Svoboda, Miroslav (advisor) ; Monika, Monika (referee)
Historically unprecedented environmental change in the Arctic ecosystems is often given into the context of its past and possible future development. In the region where instrumental meteorological observations are scarce archives need to be investigated in order to address this issues. The comprehensive synthesis one of the archives: long-live circumpolar evergreen Juniperus communis L. shrub is presented here. 20 individuals from southwest Greenland were investigated at the cell anatomy level to understand the ecology of the species and unhide its potential for environmental and climate reconstructions. The findings are as follows:
i) Stop of exponential cross-sectional conduit-lumen widening with increasing age is in contrast with conduit-lumen nature of trees. This indicates that shrubs do not need to saturate their water and nutrient demands via traits of classical hydraulic conductivity law but rather developed different mechanisms. Extreme weather conditions result in prostrate growth form. However, different weather factors probably influence shrub growth differently: While snow and wind act mechanically (a), temperature influences the form of growth physiologically (b). a) So long as the young shrub stem has high resilience to bend back to an upright position after snow melt and so long as it can withstand the wind during the vegetation season it most likely grows upright and the conduit-lumens widen. b) Temperature, resp. freeze-thaw events are responsible for the shrubs preference of safety (finite size of conduit-lumens) over hydraulic efficiency, thus not allowing for more primary growth. All of these (and other) factors are apparently working together and the transition of vertical to more horizontal growth is gradual. As a consequence, the conduit-lumen sizes may not have to be further increased (due to ecophysiological restrictions possibly also must not) because water is no longer transported against gravity.
ii) Observed age/growth trend has to be taken into consideration for further employment of the wood anatomical parameter in paleoenvironmental studies. That is, shrub cell parameters can only be used for this purposes if correctly detrended. This allows for more accurate as well as longer reconstructions because youth trend was often neglected in reconstructions based on shrub annual-rings.
iii) The south-western Greenland Ice-Sheet (GrIS) melt rates reconstruction is presented for the whole 20th century. This part of GrIS is considered as the most active. According to the presented reconstruction current GrIS melt rates are not uncommon for the last century being comparable to first decades of 20th century. This finding is particularly important contribution to the debate on Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC). Too high fresh water inputs into the Northern Atlantic from GrIS melting may slow down or even stop the AMOC which would result in more continental climate in Europe. Presented results indicate that this threshold lies higher than observed current melt rates of GrIS.
Fascinating Juniperus comunnis species has shown to be able to address many ecological as well as environmental open questions and due to its longevity and abundant distribution has a great potential to become an important player in the Arctic research.
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