A Manhattan search algorithm to minimize artificial neural network error function is outlined in this paper. From an existing position in Cartesian coordinate, a search vector moves in orthogonal directions to locate minimum function value. The search algorithm computes optimized step length for...

An emerging economic literature over the past decade has made use of international tests of educational achievement to analyze the determinants and impacts of cognitive skills. The cross-country comparative approach provides a number of unique advantages over national studies: It can exploit...