A ring satisfying x = x is necessarily commutative. We consider a variety of weaker forms of this condition and show that many but not all of them imply commutativity. We also present a variety of elementary proofs of the fact that x = x implies commutativity.

We introduce a new visualization method for temporal data, Spiral Theme Plot, by combining ThemeRiver method, spiral patterns, and scatter plot technique. Similar to ThemeRiver, data in different categories (themes) are visualized in different bands, but also in a spiral pattern. Themes are stacked along a spiral curve, which represent the time axis. Individual data points are plotted within th...

TTTTheme/UML is an existing approach to aspect-oriented modelling that supports the modularisation and composition of concerns, including crosscutting ones, in design. To date, its lack of integration with model-driven engineering (MDE) techniques has limited its benefits across the development lifecycle. Here, we describe our work on facilitating the use of Theme/UML as part of an MDE process....

We settled on the title ‘‘The Age of Uncertainty’’ for the series. It sounded well; it did not confine thought; and it suggested the basic theme: we would contrast the great certainties in economic thought in the last century with the great uncertainty with which problems are faced in our time. In the last century capitalists were certain of the success of capitalism, socialists of socialism, i...

The experimental results reported at this conference, the themes that emerged and the implications for future work are examined. Some example highlights, chosen from a personal perspective are discussed.

My research on bubbles started with my book “Asymmetric Information: Bubbles, Crashes, Technical Analysis and Herding” (Oxford University Press, 2001). The book surveys and critiques the literature on bubbles and herding in settings in which different investors hold different information. One conclusion of the book is that it is difficult to obtain bubbles in models in which all market particip...

Farmland values are often viewed as the bellwether for the U.S. farm sector. Historically, booming farm incomes have been quickly capitalized into farmland values. Over the past year, cropland values in the Corn Belt have jumped more than 25% above year ago levels according to various university and Federal Reserve surveys. Moreover, ranchland values are posting strong double-digit gains in som...