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This paper applies the meta-frontier Data Envelopment Analysis and the main concepts of convergence from the economic growth literature (β-convergence and σ-convergence) to analyze integration and convergence both in efficiency and in technology gap of European Union (EU) insurance markets. We evaluate 10 EU life insurance markets over the 17-year-period 1998–2014. Results show convergence in cost/revenue efficiency among major EU life insurance markets during the sample period. These findings indicate that the least efficient countries in 1998 have shown a higher improvement in cost/revenue efficiency than the most efficient countries in the same year as well as that the dispersion of the mean efficiency scores among EU life insurance markets decreased over the sample period. We also find convergence in cost/revenue technology gap among these markets, suggesting that they become more technologically homogeneous during the sample period. However, results show that the global financial crisis has led to a slowdown in the progress of integration and convergence in efficiency and technology gap of EU life insurance markets in terms of cost efficiency but not in terms of revenue efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is dedicated to the introduction a new class of equilibrium problems named generalized multivalued equilibrium-like problems which includes the classes of hemiequilibrium problems, equilibrium-like problems, equilibrium problems, hemivariational inequalities, and variational inequalities as special cases. By utilizing the auxiliary principle technique, some new predictor-corrector iterative algorithms for solving them are suggested and analyzed. The convergence analysis of the proposed iterative methods requires either partially relaxed monotonicity or jointly pseudomonotonicity of the bifunctions involved in generalized multivalued equilibrium-like problem. Results obtained in this paper include several new and known results as special cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose an efficient alternating direction implicit (ADI) Galerkin method for solving the time-fractional partial differential equation with damping, where the fractional derivative is in the sense of Caputo with order in $(1,2)$ . The presented numerical scheme is based on the L2- $1_{\sigma}$ method in time and the Galerkin finite element method in space. The unconditional stability and convergence of the numerical scheme are both carefully proved. Numerical results are displayed for supporting the theoretical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we consider Weber-like location problems. The objective function is a sum of terms, each a function of the Euclidean distance from a demand point. We prove that a Weiszfeld-like iterative procedure for the solution of such problems converges to a local minimum (or a saddle point) when three conditions are met. Many location problems can be solved by the generalized Weiszfeld algorithm. There are many problem instances for which convergence is observed empirically. The proof in this paper shows that many of these algorithms indeed converge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose a new iterative algorithm to approximate fixed points of total asymptotically nonexpansive mappings in $\operatorname{CAT}(0)$ spaces. We also provide two examples to illustrate the convergence behavior of the proposed algorithm and numerically compare the convergence of the proposed iteration scheme with the existing schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computable general equilibrium (CGE) models and 'convergence models' differ in their assessment of the extent to which demography influences economic growth. Here, I show that CGE models produce results similar to those of convergence models when more detailed demographic information is used. To do so, I implement a CGE model to explain Taiwan's economic miracle during the period 1965-2005. I find that Taiwan's demographic transition accounts for 22 % of per capita output growth and 17.7 % of investment rate for the period 1965-2005. Moreover, this paper confirms most of the literature written on the role of demography on per capita output growth and saving rates since the seminar article by Coale and Hoover (). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slack labor market conditions for women relative to men increase the marriage rate in the USA. This paper examines the long-term consequences of such marriages. Despite the significant effect on marriage timing, labor market conditions experienced in youth do not affect the probability that a woman will marry by the age of 30. Further, labor market conditions at the time of marriage are uncorrelated with the probability of divorce, spouses' characteristics, or the number of children. These findings suggest that labor market fluctuations induce only intertemporal adjustments for marriage timing without affecting reservation match quality or total fertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to study the almost sure T-stability and convergence of Ishikawa-type and Mann-type random iterative algorithms for some kind of ϕ-weakly contractive type random operators in a separable Banach space. Under suitable conditions, the Bochner integrability of random fixed points for this kind of random operators and the almost sure T-stability and convergence for these two kinds of random iterative algorithms are proved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the Generalized Neyman–Pearson (GNP) optimality of empirical likelihood-based tests for parameter hypotheses. The GNP optimality focuses on the large deviation errors of tests, i.e., the convergence rates of the type I and II error probabilities under fixed alternatives. We derive (i) the GNP optimality of the empirical likelihood criterion (ELC) test against all alternatives, and (ii) a necessary and a sufficient condition for the GNP optimality of the empirical likelihood ratio (ELR) test against each alternative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to use socioeconomic indicators for analyzing convergence within Greece at regional (NUTS II) and prefecture levels (NUTS III) since 1960. We use two alternative approaches. The first one is based on the coefficient of variation and the second one on quality of life rankings. We confirm the decline of regional inequalities in Greece, with the exclusion of the 1980s. Regions with increased tourist and trade activity are also regions with high quality of life. Border regions are usually the laggards of social and economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  This paper reports the static analysis of point-supported super-elliptical plates of uniform thickness subjected to a uniformly distributed lateral load. The plate perimeter was defined by a super-elliptic function with a power, corresponding to shapes ranging from an ellipse to a rectangle. The analysis was based on the Kirchhoff–Love plate theory and the computations were carried out by the Ritz method. Lagrange multipliers were used to satisfy the boundary conditions. Isotropic and homogeneous plates with 20 different shapes were examined for two distinct aspect ratios. Convergence studies were performed for the central deflection and the central bending moments. The results were checked against those of a corner-supported square plate and good agreement was obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to discuss the process of regional convergence within the framework of an overlapping generations model in which the engine of growth is the accumulation of human capital. In particular, we consider different education funding systems and compare their performance in terms of growth rates and pace of convergence between two heterogeneous regions. The analysis suggests that the choice of a particular education system incorporates a possible trade-off between long run growth rate and short run convergence. In such choice, the initial capital stock and the extent of regional human capital discrepancy appear as central variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, based on the pressure project method, we consider an adaptive stabilized finite volume method for the Oseen equations with the lowest equal order finite element pair. Firstly, we develop the discrete forms in both finite element and finite volume methods, and establish the existence and uniqueness of numerical solutions by establishing the equivalence of linear terms in finite element and finite volume methods. Secondly, a residual type a posteriori error estimator is designed, and the computable global upper and local lower bounds between the exact solutions and the finite volume solutions are established. Thirdly, a discrete local lower bound between two successive finite volume solutions is obtained, convergence analysis of the adaptive stabilized finite volume method is also performed. Finally, some numerical results are presented to verify the performances of the developed error estimators and confirm the established theoretical findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regulatory convergence and cooperation among the authorities in the field of medical products (medicines and medical devices) are essential to deliver safe and efficacious products quickly to patients. APEC established the Regulatory Harmonization Steering Committee (RHSC) to advance this cause among member economies. This paper identifies four areas of appropriate regulatory practice in which APEC economies could converge, and explores the feasible processes of how APEC economies could cooperate in order to bring about realization of a maximum level of regulatory convergence by 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the joint analysis of human capital convergence. Convergence of average stocks of health and education across countries; Speed of convergence; Three-stage least-squares method.