We consider the properties of weighted linear combinations of prediction models, or linear pools, evaluated using the log predictive scoring rule. Although exactly one model has limiting posterior probability, an optimal linear combination typically includes several models with positive weights....

This paper shows that regular fractional polynomials can approximate regular cost, production and utility functions and their first two derivatives on closed compact subsets of the strictly positive orthant of Euclidean space arbitrarily well. These functions therefore can provide reliable...