Let c(F) be the number of perfect pairs of F and c(G) be the maximum of c(F) over all (near-) one-factorizations F of G. Wagner showed that for odd n, c(Kn) ≥ n∗φ(n) 2 and for m and n which are odd and co-prime to each other, c(Kmn) ≥ 2 ∗ c(Km) ∗ c(Kn). In this note, we establish that both these results are equivalent in the sense that they both give rise to the same lower bound.

V. Chv atal proved that no minimal imperfect graph has a small transversal, that is, a set of vertices of cardinality at most + ! 1 which meets every !-clique and every -stable set. In this paper we prove that a slight generalization of this notion of small transversal leads to a conjecture which is as strong as Berge's Strong Perfect Graph Conjecture for a very large class of graphs, although ...

This paper examines how the fertility of enslaved women was affected by the promise of freedom. Exploiting geographic variation in the effect of the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, I demonstrate a negative correlation between fertility and the distance to freedom. This negative correlation is stronger on larger plantations but weaker when the slaveholder is a woman. A similar correlation is not pre...

In order to prove the Strong Perfect Graph Conjecture, the existence of a ”simple” property P holding for any minimal non-quasi-parity Berge graph G would really reduce the difficulty of the problem. We prove here that this property cannot be of type ”G is F-free”, where F is any fixed family of Berge graphs.

Competition in the Þnancial sector is more complex than in the rest of the economy. On the one hand, concentration in the banking industry reduces (static) efficiency as it does in any industry. On the other hand, concentration may also affect the stability of the banking industry in ways that have no counterpart in other industries. In this paper we consider a variety of models of competition ...

This study analyzes the evolution of competitive conditions in the Banking industries of fourteen Central and Eastern European (CEE) transition economies using firm-level data. The results of the competition analysis suggest that the banking markets of CEE countries cannot be characterized by the bipolar cases of either perfect competition or monopoly over 1993-2000 except for FYR of Macedonia ...

Brander and Lewis argue in a seminal paper (AER, 1986) that a Þrm’s debt-equity ratio should have important strategic effects on product market competition. We test their model in a duopoly experiment under both, Bertrand and Cournot competition. We Þnd that leverage has strategic effects, but those effects are much weaker than predicted by theory. SpeciÞcally, we Þnd for price competition a ge...

A model of finitely repeated price competition between two sellers with differentiated goods and a large buyer is analyzed. The set of pure strategy sequential equilibria is investigated under public and private monitoring. With private monitoring, i.e. when prices are not observable to the competing sellers, all sales are made by the better seller and the set of repeated game equilibrium payof...

We show that the impact of globalization on growth and wages crucially depends on the labor market structures of the countries involved. We contrast bargaining and perfect competition. Under perfect capital markets, convergence of capital and income per capita always occurs despite di®erent labor market structures. However, di®erent labor market structures prevent convergence of the income shar...