Smart meters might be the only way to escape the Big Six and their overpriced energy

The UK is a rich, stable country with oil and gas reserves, lots of wind, and more than enough scientists and engineers to make the most of its resources. So why do so many people in the country continue to tolerate high energy bills and poor service

Computing zeta functions of arithmetic schemes

We present new algorithms for computing zeta functions of algebraic varieties over finite fields. In particular, let X be an arithmetic scheme (scheme of finite type over Z), and for a prime p let zeta_{X_p}(s) be the local factor of its zeta function. We present an algorithm that computes zeta_{X_p}(s) for a single prime p in time p^(1/2+o(1)), and another algorithm that computes zeta_{X_p}(s) for all primes p < N in time N (log N)^(3+o(1)). These generalise previous results of the author from hyperelliptic curves to completely arbitrary varieties.Comment: 23 pages, to appear in the Proceedings of the London Mathematical Societ

Comment: Citation Statistics

Comment on "Citation Statistics" [arXiv:0910.3529]Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/09-STS285C the Statistical Science (http://www.imstat.org/sts/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

POLICY DEPENDENCY AND REFORM: ECONOMIC GAINS VERSUS POLITICAL PAINS

Economic analysis condemns market intervention in favour of farmers as inefficient, if not also ineffective, and therefore well worth reform. Practical experience, however, indicates that such lessons are hard to learn and implement. Part of the reason appears to be that economic analysis seldom clearly identifies the real costs and benefits of reform, and seldom explains these sensibly to the relevant constituencies. Furthermore, economic analysis rarely explains why the protectionist measures were adopted in the first place, or explores the dependencies that these policies generate. Without these explanations, and without reform strategies that take full account of them, policy reform will continue to be reluctant, slow and frequently counterproductive. This paper reconsiders the evolution of farm policies and the economic assessment of their costs and benefits, and draws conclusions as to the general shape of reforms likely to reconcile economic efficiency with political acceptability. In so doing, it re-phrases conventional economic arguments in terms which seem to accord better with sensible intuition, which may prove more accessible and credible to policy makers and advisors. It concludes with a substantial challenge to the agricultural economics profession.Political Economy,