Graduate Courses (doktorandkurser)
given by Peter Lohmander,
SLU, Department of Forest Economics, Umea, Sweden,
in the autumn of
2008
In case you are interested in these courses or know somebody who may be interested,
please let me know as soon as possible!
Feel free to forward this message
to other potential course participants!
Questions or Interest to
participate?,
Please send me an
e-mail!
Best
regards,
Peter
Lohmander
Professor of forest management and
economic optimization, SLU, Umea, Sweden
Peter@Lohmander.com or Peter.lohmander@sekon.slu.se or plohmander@hotmail.com
You can find me and my activities here: http://www.lohmander.com .
Just click on the moving targets!
Course #1:
Optimization in dynamic and
stochastic decision problems
start 2008-09-01 (Monday,
September 1, 2008)
stop 2008-10-01 (Wednesday,
October 1, 2008)
Course #2:
start 2008-11-03 (Monday, November
3, 2008)
stop 2008-12-01 (Monday, December
1, 2008)
General structure of each
course:
Phase A: The course starts with one rather intensive
week with lectures at the department of forest economics at SLU in
Phase B: Then, the course participants can study the
literature and solve different missions in some other place, during
approximately three weeks. Then, e-mail correspondence is useful and feedback
may be obtained using internet.
Phase C: In the end of the course, we all meet again
during some days, to present and discuss the solutions to the missions and to
write a test.
Course
plans:
See below!
PFG0016 Optimization in
dynamic and stochastic decision problems, 5 credits (7.5 ECTS credits)
Application and further information:
Peter Lohmander
Prerequisites:
The participants should have some knowledge of calculus, linear and nonlinear optimization before the course starts.
Objectives:
After the course, the participants should have:
- fundamental knowledge of general optimization methods that can handle dynamic and stochastic decision problems. This includes stochastic dynamic programming, stochastic optimal control, multi stage stochastic programming and other conceptually related methods from adaptive optimization.
- fundamental understanding of the principles and algorithms of these methods.
- fundamental understanding of implicit and explicit assumptions consistent with relevant applications of those methods.
- ability to apply these methods to new research problems from current research projects.
- ability to
correctly and efficiently present and discuss relevant problem descriptions,
model definitions, solution approaches, model results and interpretations.
Contents:
Economic dynamic and stochastic decision problems. Deterministic dynamic
optimization in discrete time with discrete state space. Deterministic dynamic
optimization in discrete time with continuous state space. Deterministic dynamic
optimization in continuous time. Optimal solutions to deterministic dynamic
decision problems. Stochastic dynamic optimization in discrete time. Stochastic
dynamic optimization in continuous time. Optimal solutions to stochastic dynamic
decision problems. Applications to decision problems in forest company
management in forest production, forest logistics and forest industry mills. (It
does not matter if the course participant mainly is interested in the forest
sector or some other sector. The decision problems are very similar in most
sectors and the solution methods are the same.)
Examination:
Written exam.
Literature:
Relevant parts of: - Sethi, S. P., Thompson, G.L.,
Optimal Control Theory, Applications to Management Science and Economics, Kluwer
Academic Publishers, 2 ed., 2000
Winston, W.L.,
Operations Research, Applications and Algorithms, Duxbury Press, International
Thomson Publishing, ISBN 0-534-20971-8, 2004
(The
literature list will be updated.)
PFS0017 Forest Economics, 5
credits (7.5 ECTS credits)
Application
and further information:
Peter Lohmander
Prerequisites:
Suggested background: Most importantly, the
course participants should be able to follow and understand the lectures. A
general background in some quantitative area is suggested according to the three
alternatives found below: Alternative 1: Doctoral student and MSc och BSc in
forestry (or jägmästare) including higher level courses in mathematical
statistics and/or forest economics. Alternative 2: Doctoral student and MSc or
BSc in economics, management or business administration including higher level
courses in quantitative analysis. Alternative 3: Doctoral student with other
background (such as engineering) including quantitative analysis and some
economics and/or management.
Objectives:
After the course, the student should understand the
fundamental principles of economic forestry, including the derivation of optimal
decision rules in some situations. The student should be well aware of the
underlying assumptions of the most typical decision rules, based on
deterministic representations of reality. The student should be able to
determine and understand in what ways the optimal decisions and decision rules
change in case the underlying assumptions change within deterministic, single
decision variable, forestry problems. The student should understand how optimal
combinations of decisions can be determined in the presence of constraints
caused by technology and laws. The student should also have some understanding
of econometrics applied to forest economics, the consequences of information
assumptions and different kinds of physical and economic disturbances,
fundamental examples and applications of optimal stopping theory and more
general stochastic multi period control in problems of forest sector relevance.
Contents:
The course Forest Economics will include the theory
represented in Johansson & Löfgren (1985). The field has however developed
considerably since 1985 when Johansson & Löfgren published their book.
Hence, recent developments in several directions will be included in the
lectures by Peter Lohmander.
Examination:
Written exam
Literature:
Johansson, P.O., Löfgren, K.G., The economics of
forestry and natural resources, Basil Blackwell, 1985
Weintraub A. et al (Editors), Handbook of Operations Research in Natural
Resources, Springer, Springer Science, International Series in Operations
Research and Management Science, New York, USA, 2007
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/reader/0387718141/ref=sib_dp_pt/701-0734992-1741115#reader-link
Articles to be
included in the near future.
(The literature
list will be updated.)