This thesis introduces the successive lumping procedure (SLP) to compute the steady state probabilities for a class of Markov Chains with large state spaces. In this procedure we introduce one or...Show moreThis thesis introduces the successive lumping procedure (SLP) to compute the steady state probabilities for a class of Markov Chains with large state spaces. In this procedure we introduce one or multiple successive lumping states processes. Also, this thesis studies the classical reorder quantity, order point (Q, r) continuous review stochastic inventory model. This model has been extensively studied in the literature and its use in practice is widespread. Using the SLP efficient calculations can be done for this model when there are Bernoulli arrivals, a mixture of backorders, lost sales and a random lead time. In addition, this work extends previous research in this area by providing efficient algorithms for the computation of the optimal (Q∗ , r∗ ) values when there are Poisson arrivals, a multi-breakpoint discount pricing structure and a fixed lead time.Show less
During the last 120 years or so, a lot of research has been done on Egyptian paint, pigments and binders. Several scholars have made attempts to reconstruct colour schemes on two-dimensional art...Show moreDuring the last 120 years or so, a lot of research has been done on Egyptian paint, pigments and binders. Several scholars have made attempts to reconstruct colour schemes on two-dimensional art and have succeeded relatively well. However, something similar has not been done on ancient Egyptian three-dimensional art. Therefore, in this thesis the first attempt will be made to reconstruct the colour patterns on a royal statue of Sesostris I. A corpus of other royal statues will be gathered and analysed to detect certain standard ‘rules’, or colour-canon, with can then be applied to other, blank sculptures. Furthermore a review will be made on the relation between two-and threedimensional art, their similarities and differences, as well as the social context of statues and symbolism behind the use of specific colours, which could have affected the original colour layout.Show less
In this thesis the results of a microscopic analysis of ornaments from the Dutch Funnel Beaker culture (3350-2750 cal. BC) are presented. It is tried to get a better understanding of the meaning of...Show moreIn this thesis the results of a microscopic analysis of ornaments from the Dutch Funnel Beaker culture (3350-2750 cal. BC) are presented. It is tried to get a better understanding of the meaning of the TRB ornaments. By using the concept of cultural biography of objects, insight is gained into how ornaments were treated during this period. Several patterns were distinguished in the choice of raw material, the shape of ornaments, the amount of use and the deposition of ornaments. Most ornaments were made of amber, followed by jet and stone. A strong preference for disc-shaped beads was observed, followed by cylindrical-shaped beads. Other shapes, such as pendants, were only sporadically observed. The technological analysis resulted in the conclusion that ornaments were made following a rather straightforward production sequence of cutting, grinding and biconical perforating. Almost all ornaments were used to some degree. No clear pattern was found as to how, how long and how many ornaments were worn by a single individual. The few indications suggest a variety of ways to wear ornaments. After use, more than half of all ornaments were reground. Dutch Funnel Beaker ornaments are mainly found in the hunebedden. During social gatherings burials and rituals were performed at these megalithic structures, emphasizing and reinforcing the collective identity of the social group. It has been argued that the axes, flints and pottery deposited commemorated communal values, beliefs and activities. In this thesis a similar interpretation is suggested for the amber and jet ornaments. The only local source of amber and jet during the Dutch TRB was the coastal area. Exploiting this area was an important part of TRB existence. It is argued that the specific provenance of amber and jet would have created an association between this material and the coastal area. In this manner the ornaments could have come to symbolize the activity of travelling to and from and exploiting the coast. And in my opinion the ornaments in the hunebedden refer to this aspect of everyday life.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
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This work assesses the techniques available for the investigation of the materials which were used in Mesoamerica for the painting of objects, such as murals but also books. In order to assess the...Show moreThis work assesses the techniques available for the investigation of the materials which were used in Mesoamerica for the painting of objects, such as murals but also books. In order to assess the applicability of these techniques, first an overview of the current knowledge about the materials that were used by these people in the pre-colonial time (before 1521 A.D.) is given. Also the different media are discussed and the specific technology which was used in their production is discussed when this is currently understood. In the second part an explanation of the working of the different techniques is presented. This is of importance for understanding the possibilities and limitations of these techniques. Each of the selected techniques has the potential of coming to a better understanding of the physical properties of the material under study, but each needs a different input and can generate different output. In the third part, the applicability of these techniques under the specific conditions posed by the Mesoamerican objects is discussed. The materials and specific techniques used by the Mesoamerican artisans pose new challenges to the technology, but also provide unique opportunities. Lastly a case study dealing with a palimpsest in the Mexican Codex Selden, currently held at the Bodleian Library in Oxford, exemplifies the potential of doing such a high-tech research and hopefully will act as a stimulus for further research suing these techniques in this field.Show less
Tell Sabi Abyad, an archaeological site in Northern Syria, near the Turkish border. The ceramics excavated at this site are among the earliest ceramics uncovered in Upper Mesopotamia. These...Show moreTell Sabi Abyad, an archaeological site in Northern Syria, near the Turkish border. The ceramics excavated at this site are among the earliest ceramics uncovered in Upper Mesopotamia. These ceramics cover a period from the end of the PPNB to the Pre-Halaf, ca. 7000-6200 BC. This period has been divided into many subdivisions by location and cultural-historical. Until recent a „new‟ period has been added; the IPN. These earliest ceramics are mostly from this period. The ceramics uncovered have been sampled and systematically examined on: baking colour, temper, grain amount, grain colour, surface finish, and decoration. The goal of this thesis is to give a preliminary report on the earliest ceramics of Tell Sabi Abyad, as a start for further research into this „newly‟ discovered period, and to show that further research is indeed required. The material has been underrated, is has also been found in South East Turkey, but was considered to be a discrepancy in the stratigraphy, until recent.Show less
Weather forecasts are part of everyday life. People use them to decide on clothing, holiday destinations and as subject of conversations. Nowadays the forecasts are quite accurate up to a week...Show moreWeather forecasts are part of everyday life. People use them to decide on clothing, holiday destinations and as subject of conversations. Nowadays the forecasts are quite accurate up to a week ahead, whereas thirty years ago one could only rely on 2-days forecasts. Of course the results of the forecasts are easy to grasp, but how about the methods to obtain those results, e.g. the underlying theory? In chapter 2 we will state the governing equations of atmospheric flow. A physical aspect of the system, called the Coriolis effect, will then be described in more detail. After this we start looking for well-behaving solutions; traveling waves. This is done by transforming the system into new coordinates and manipulating the system in such way that we only need to solve one equation. In section 3 we obtain some qualitative results about waves under various conditions using phase plane analysis. Special attention is paid to connections between equilibrium points. Stability of the solutions will be discussed briefly in section 4. In section 5 the model used in the first sections is compared to an other model; the Eady model. The Eady model uses a slightly different approach but will turn out to also be quite similar.Show less
In de historiografie heeft de herdenkingsgeschiedenis de laatste decennia aanzienlijke belangstelling verworven. De herdenkingscultuur rond de Belgische Afscheiding neemt hierin vooralsnog een...Show moreIn de historiografie heeft de herdenkingsgeschiedenis de laatste decennia aanzienlijke belangstelling verworven. De herdenkingscultuur rond de Belgische Afscheiding neemt hierin vooralsnog een bijzondere positie in. De thesis ‘De mythe van de Volksgeest’: de Belgische Afscheiding herdacht (1832-1932) belichaamd een herwaardering van deze herdenkingscultuur. In tegenstelling tot vele andere gedenkwaardige nationale aangelegenheden, kan met name de Tiendaagse Veldtocht (1831) nauwelijks als een nationaal hoogte- of dieptepunt worden beschouwd. Toch werd deze in bepaalde kringen wel degelijk het herdenken waard geacht. De voorstanders van herdenking waren voornamelijk oud-strijders – georganiseerd in de vereniging Het Metalen Kruis – en (oud-)militairen, (protestantse) notabelen, geestelijken en leden van het hof. Voor hen belichaamde de Tiendaagse Veldtocht een glorieuze overwinning. Bovendien had het Nederlandse volk als gevolg van de ‘wapenroep’ van koning Willem I nimmer een eenheid tentoongespreid als in die roerige jaren 1830-1832. Een dergelijke gebeurtenis verdiende het op nationale schaal te worden herdacht. Vanaf de eerste grote herdenking in 1856 tot het vijftigjarig jubileum in 1881 werd de herinnering aan de ‘mythe van de eendracht van 1830-1832’ vooral dankzij de veteranen nog op enige schaal herdacht. Na hun verdwijnen – door ziekte en ouderdom – rond het fin de siècle werd echter al snel duidelijk dat de herinnering aan de Afscheiding hen niet lang zou overleven – laat staan tot een daadwerkelijk nationale aangelegenheid zou worden.Show less
In mijn MA-scriptie, getiteld Ridderlijk vorst en publieke opinie: Het publiek vertoon van koning Willem II en de reacties in de pers, wordt verslag gedaan van een onderzoek naar de wijze waarop...Show moreIn mijn MA-scriptie, getiteld Ridderlijk vorst en publieke opinie: Het publiek vertoon van koning Willem II en de reacties in de pers, wordt verslag gedaan van een onderzoek naar de wijze waarop Koning Willem II zich in het openbaar begaf, en hoe de pers hier in deze periode op reageerde. Dit hangt samen met de ontwikkeling van de Nederlandse monarchie, die tegen het einde van de negentiende eeuw een symbolische functie kreeg, als overkoepelend nationaal orgaan dat de door de verzuiling ontstane maatschappelijke verdeeldheid enig tegengas gaf; dit gevoel werd versterkt door, middels bezoeken aan provincies, de band met het volk te versterken. In dit onderzoek ging het erom om na te gaan in hoeverre hier ook al sprake was onder Willem II. De vraag luidt in hoeverre het uiterlijk vertoon van de vorst toen al belangrijk was in de ogen van de publieke opinie. De reden hiervoor is dat de verzuiling toen nog een minder sterke invloed op de Nederlandse maatschappij had, terwijl de monarchie juist afstand deed van haar officiële machtspositie. Inderdaad had Willem II een voorliefde voor pracht en praal, evenals voor ridderlijk militarisme, terwijl hij ook een band met het gewone volk trachtte te creëren. Zowel ridderlijk vertoon als de populariteitshonger waren reden voor zijn provinciale huldetochten. De reacties van de Nederlandse pers op het vertoon van de koning was echter gematigd. Kritiek bleef beperkt, implicerend dat men zich niet aan dergelijk vertoon stoorde, of dat dit zelfs als vanzelfsprekend beschouwd werd. Indien dat laatste het geval was, was er nauwelijks kritiek, daar dit in een dergelijke visie gelijk zou staan met kritiek op de monarchie, waaraan pracht en praal inherent waren.Show less
In this study, the degree of populism of both the Dutch Socialist Party (SP) and the German socialists (Die Linke) is measured based on the way both parties acted during the annual budget debates...Show moreIn this study, the degree of populism of both the Dutch Socialist Party (SP) and the German socialists (Die Linke) is measured based on the way both parties acted during the annual budget debates in the Dutch and German parliament since 1990. I focused on the debating strategies and the political opinions formulated by both parties. First, it will be explained what populism is. In the second part of this study, I tried to develop a method, based on the knowledge of what populism is from the first part, with which the degree of populism of parties could be measured. In the final chapter, I investigated the way of debating of both parties in the annual budget debates. In my conclusion, I tried to express some thoughts about populism itself.Show less
The Pithecanthropus erectus fossils offer evidence that early Homo dispersed into South East Asia somewhere during the Palaeolithic. The main question that still remains is when this dispersal took...Show moreThe Pithecanthropus erectus fossils offer evidence that early Homo dispersed into South East Asia somewhere during the Palaeolithic. The main question that still remains is when this dispersal took place. However there is also another theory, depending on the outcome of the age of Pithecanthropus erectus; is it possible that Homo erectus evolved in Asia and then migrated to Africa? Over the years a lot of geological research has been conducted in order to date Pithecanthropus erectus, unearthed in Trinil, Java in 1891 by Dutchman Eugène Dubois. Unfortunately until now it has not been possible to provide an exact age estimate. Several researchers have attempted to date the surroundings of the fossil by means of relative and radiometric dating methods, but still ages fluctuate somewhere between 700 kya and 1.8 Ma. Determining the exact age has thus far still eluded the scientific world and this would provide better insight into the dispersal of early Homo. Argon-argon dating may finally provide a definitive answer for this thesis. I have examined the infill of shells which were unearthed by Dubois from the same layer Pithecanthropus erectus was discovered in. These shells, which have been filled up with sediment contain volcanic residue due to a volcanic eruption that took place very probably around the time Pithecanthropus erectus died. At the Free University of Amsterdam I have sampled minerals such as sanidine and plagioclase from the infill, separating them by means of heavy liquids and painstakingly handpicking the minerals one by one. Then argon-argon (40Ar/39Ar) dating was carried out on the minerals. Potassium-argon and argon-argon dating has been conducted on other minerals before in order to try and date this fossil, however those minerals were all taken from different layers and area‟s close to the actual site. The minerals that I examined and dated come from shells from within the actual layer in which Pithecanthropus was found and were excavated by Dubois himself. This research contributes to the attempts at dating this key fossil. Even though the argon-argon dating of the minerals did not yield any definitive results yet, future work on the minerals I selected from the shells may do so.Show less
This thesis describes the research done at the BC Cancer Agency in Vancouver, Canada, as part of a CIHR-team, using operations research to solve health care problems. Appointment booking data is...Show moreThis thesis describes the research done at the BC Cancer Agency in Vancouver, Canada, as part of a CIHR-team, using operations research to solve health care problems. Appointment booking data is used to determine where problems occur in the Chemo unit. One of these problems is the mismatch of capacity and demand. Some days there is slack capacity and other days appointments need to be rescheduled due to lack of capacity. A Markov Decision Process of the process is introduced and via Markov Chain theory a simulation model is introduced. New booking methods and ways to add capacity are tested using this simulation model. We conclude that using a booking method that is a bit more advanced and uses the booking tolerance earlier in the process gives the best results, and is significantly better than adding extra capacity.Show less
In this thesis we study a class of self-interacting random walk. The specific behaviour, which can differ from a simple random walk, is presented in the form of simulations and depends on some...Show moreIn this thesis we study a class of self-interacting random walk. The specific behaviour, which can differ from a simple random walk, is presented in the form of simulations and depends on some chosen parameters. The model for the random walk is as follows: the walker chooses a starting position on the integers (1-dimensional walk) and an initial value/weight is given to every edge between two neighbouring sites called the local time profile. Our stochastic model represents the probability to jump one position, after one unit of time, to the right which also depends on the local time profile. When the walker doesn’t jump right the walker jumps one position to the left. The local time of the corresponding edge is raised with an amount of one and the local time profile is updated after every step. The underlying idea in this model is the possibility to choose parameters in such a way the local time profile determines the qualitative asymptotic behaviour of the walk. We start with the just described model and prove for a range of parameters that the walk eventually gets stuck on a single edge. This will be done in three steps. First we prove the walk gets stuck with positive probability. Next we show the walk must have a finite range and we use Rubin’s Theorem to complete the proof. Further we investigate extended models where the walker can jump one or two positions at a time and find out that for one choice of parameters the type of behaviour is not unique. In the remainder we discuss the main result from the article Stuck walks by Erschler, T´oth and Werner. The theorem stated there gives a range of parameters such that the walk gets stuck on two, three, . . . edges.Show less
The quantification of labour in ancient Egypt is an under exposed field of study. Ancient sources are scarce on solid data about the labour processes of that time or the deployment of staff or...Show moreThe quantification of labour in ancient Egypt is an under exposed field of study. Ancient sources are scarce on solid data about the labour processes of that time or the deployment of staff or personnel. The way the administration of the Egyptian state worked has been researched extensively. These studies encompass the long and dynamic history of the pharaonic state, from the Early Dynastic Period to the Graeco-Roman period in the very end. In reconstructing the labour processes of specific activities we may find a way to address the question of quantification. The process of building with mud brick can be an example to study the way how the ancient Egyptians organized their labour. The reconstruction of this process allows us to quantify the labour – in terms of man-hours and duration - for each successive stage. From there, it is possible to estimate the efforts and expenses (funds) necessary to realize the building. A labour organization model has been devised to support and structure the reconstruction of the building processes and to quantify both labour and funds. The building of the First Dynasty fortress at Elephantine has been subject of a case study to test the model. Although we can not reconstruct the ancient processes in detail, the outcome provides reliable information to assess the labour involved with the erection of the initial fortress at Elephantine.Show less
Often low copy number plasmids in bacterial cells exhibit active mechanisms to ensure stable inheritance. In this master thesis we investigate several models that aim to explain the equidistant...Show moreOften low copy number plasmids in bacterial cells exhibit active mechanisms to ensure stable inheritance. In this master thesis we investigate several models that aim to explain the equidistant positioning of pB171 plasmids in E. coli. In this system a walker type ATPase, ParA, forms filamentous structures on the nucleoid. Plasmids with attached ParB, a DNA binding protein, follow the retractive movement of ParA. We show that a polymer pulling model in which the plasmid detachment rate depends critically on the plasmid bound ParB levels can generate partitioning. Furthermore a recently proposed biased diffusion model in which the plasmid diffusion is influenced by the dynamic ParA concentration can direct motion towards mid cell. However the necessity of a high plasmid diffusion constant renders it unlikely to be the actual mechanism used by bacteria. A slight variation of this idea where diffusing oligomers pull on plasmids encounters the same problems as a biased diffusion model. The influence of polymer drag which depends on the length of the filament can be beneficial though it seems unlikely to be the sole mechanism to partition plasmids. Finally, in our favoured model we show that ParA polymers can position plasmids equidistantly with the assumption that ParA subunits bind along the filament and slide to the tip end, thereby influencing the polymerization rate critically.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
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The material category of cremation remains is of high importance for archaeologists. For many time periods, cremation was the prime way of disposing the dead and therefore has significant value for...Show moreThe material category of cremation remains is of high importance for archaeologists. For many time periods, cremation was the prime way of disposing the dead and therefore has significant value for understanding burial rituals of past societies. Next to that, in many areas including large parts of the Netherlands, cremations are more often retrieved than inhumation burials due to their resistibility to acidic soil circumstances. Although highly important, knowledge on how this material can be of assistance in archaeological research is often underestimated or misunderstood. This study therefore gives an up to date overview of possibilities and limitations of the material. The second part of the thesis is concerned with the ability of cremation research to shed new light on the burial ritual of the Urnfield culture in the South of the Netherlands. Although Urnfields are a well studied phenomenon, relatively little is still known about how the deceased were cremated and how the ritual took place. This thesis therefore seeks to give further insight in the possibility to gain more insight into the performed ritual, based on the information which can be extracted by osteological analysis. The study focuses on material from the Urnfield of Maastricht Ambyerveld, used as a case study. Attention is put on the possibilities to integrate histological and tooth cementum annulation research in standard cremation analysis as well.Show less
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