The purpose of this paper is to compare the abilities of two competing analytical techniques---mathematical programming and statistical regression---to shed light on the union/nonunion productivity differential in U.S. surface coal mining. The programming approach has the virtues of being...

Mathematical programming techniques were used in the steel industry as early as 1958, and many applications of optimization in steel production have been reported since then. In this survey, we summarize published applications in the largest steel plants by type, including national steel...

Nitrate pollution from agriculture is an important environmental problem, caused by the excessive use of inorganic fertilizers. The internalization of this externality, via a tax on mineral nitrogen, could lead to a second best solution, reducing nitrate emissions. Several authors suggest that a...

The purpose of this study is to evaluate ethanol cost- effectiveness with regards to carbon dioxide emissions. Actually, bio-fuel production is only viable thanks to the tax credit policy resulting in economic ‘deadweight’ loss. The environmental performance is assessed under the Life Cycle...

The paper presents the main results of a research aimed to theoretically define and numerically apply an optimization model for the economic analysis and strategic planning of the inland logistics of maritime containers imported through the seaports of Naples and Salerno located in the Campania...

Recently, Branzei, Dimitrov, and Tijs (2003) introduced cooperative interval-valued games. Among other insights, the notion of an interval core has been coined and proposed as a solution concept for interval-valued games. In this paper we will present a general mathematical programming algorithm...

Biofuel energy as an alternative and additive form of energy to fossil fuel has gained much attention in recent times. In order to sustain such a vision, a robust supply chain is of extreme importance in helping to deliver competitive biofuel to the end user markets. In this paper, firstly, an...