Graeme Byrne

On Lagrange interpolation with equidistant nodes

A quantitative version of a classical result of S.N. Bernstein concerning the divergence of Lagrange interpolation polynomials based on equidistant nodes is presented. The proof is motivated by the results of numerical computations.

Computer Attitudes and Computing Career Perceptions of First Year Computing Students

This paper reports on a longitudinal research study on the attitudes to computers, and the perceptions of a computing career, of students enrolled in an introductory computing course in the years 1995 to 1998. Previous programming experience had a positive effect on computer confidence, and ownership of a home computer had a positive effect on computer anxiety and computer confidence. There was a gender difference in computer attitudes and perception of a computing career, with females scoring significantly lower than males on all measures. The analysis showed decreased computer liking over the semester and an inconsistent semester effect on computer confidence over the four years. The differences between male and female computer attitudes and perceptions of a computing career persisted over the semester.

Modeling Total Accruals in an International Environment: The Impact of Alternative Measures of PPE

Abstract The role of accounting regulation hinges upon whether, how, and why managers manage earnings in the absence of regulatory constraints. Determining whether managers engage in earnings management to transfer wealth away from its most economic or socially effective/efficient distribution requires the researcher to first model predicted earnings, or accruals, so that unexpected variations are appropriately classed as earnings management. In this study, we examine whether refining the property, plant and equipment (PPE) variable in the Jones (1991) model of total accruals — by excluding assets not subject to depreciation or amortization, and including intangibles that are subject to amortization — improves the model’s explanatory power. Results indicate that progressively refining the PPE variable improves the explanatory power of the total accruals model. The improvement in explanatory power is modest, however, and statistically significant only when the refinement is to use gross, rather than net, measures, and only when extreme observations remain in the sample. Therefore, the practical significance of this result for researchers is that written-down asset measures can be substituted for the more difficult-to-collect gross measures, particularly when extreme observations are removed from the sample. Adjustments for the effects of upward asset revaluations do not improve the model’s explanatory power.

Some integer-valued trigonometric sums

It is shown that for m = 1,2,3,…, the trigonometric sums and can be represented as integer-valued polynomials in n of degrees 2 m – 1 and 2 m , respectively. Properties of these polynomials are discussed, and recurrence relations for the coefficients are obtained. The proofs of the results depend on the representations of particular polynomials of degree n – 1 or less as their own Lagrange interpolation polynomials based on the zeros of the n th Chebyshev polynomial T n (x) = cos( n arccos x ), -1≤ x ≤1.

The Evaluation of a Computer Ethics Program

Introduction The importance of teaching computer ethics in undergraduate information technology (IT) degree programs is shown by the topics inclusion as core content in the Computing Curricula 2001 body of knowledge (Engel, 2001), the Information Systems (IS) 2002 body of knowledge (Gorgone et al., 2002) and the Australian Computer Society (ACS) body of knowledge (Underwood, 1997). In Australia the teaching of computer ethics is mandatory for ACS professional level accreditation of an IT degree. While it is important to develop effective teaching and learning strategies to obtain quality learning outcomes for students in computer ethics programs, it is equally important to design strategies to evaluate the success of these programs. The teaching and learning strategies that are used in the computer ethics component of an elective capstone course on social, ethical and legal issues in IT at La Trobe University, Bendigo are described fully in Staehr (2002). In this paper the evaluation of the computer ethics component of the course is reported. Background The Four Component Model of Moral Behavior (Rest, 1994) outlines the conditions necessary for an individual to behave morally (see Table 1) and provides useful guidelines for the design of moral education programs. The student must: 1. be able to recognize that a moral dilemma exists (moral sensitivity), 2. have the ability to make a morally justifiable decision, 3. place moral values above other values (professionalism), and 4. have the strength of character to carry out the morally justifiable course of action for moral behavior to occur. This model is useful to consider when designing moral education programs so that all aspects of moral behavior are addressed. Therefore, although this study only evaluates moral judgment it is important that in computer ethics teaching the other three components of moral behavior are addressed. Bebeau (1994) and Duckett and Ryden (1994) provide ideas for learning activities and curriculum in professional education programs that address all four components in the model. This study used the Defining Issues Test (DIT) of moral judgment to evaluate the teaching of computer ethics to students enrolled in an elective capstone course on social, ethical and legal issues in IT. (Note that the questionnaire is copyright and may be purchased from the Center for the Study of Ethical Development, University of Minnesota). The theoretical basis of the questionnaire is Kohlbergs theory (Kohlberg, 1986) of moral development. The DIT has been used to assess moral education programs for a variety of professional/occupational groups, for example, medicine, dentistry, teaching, accountancy and journalism. The diversity of professions that have used the DIT indicates its likely successful application to the assessment of professional ethics programs in the information systems and computer science disciplines. The DIT is not the only instrument that could have been chosen to evaluate computer ethics teaching, as it is not the only test that purports to measure moral judgment. An alternative contender is the Moral Judgment Test (MJT) also based on Kohlbergs work. It was developed in Germany and is widely used in Europe. There has been some discussion in the literature about the relative merits of each test (Lind, 2001; Rest, Thoma & Edwards, 1997). The DIT was chosen rather than the MJT for three main reasons. Firstly, there has been more consistency in the version of the DIT studied over the years (i.e. a stable set of dilemmas, items and instructions to participants compared with the MJT). Secondly, the DIT has been used in a wider range of types of research studies. And thirdly, the original MJT is written in German and the equivalence of its translation to English has been questioned by Rest et al. (1997). The standard DIT has generic moral judgment scenarios for students to score, not professional specific scenarios. …

Improving the Retention Rates of Women in Computing: An Intervention Program

This article reports on an intervention program for women in the first year of a computing degree. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to evaluate the intervention program. The quantitative results revealed the most significant factors influencing success in the first programming course to be age, having studied mathematics in the final years of secondary school, followed by university entrance score, previous programming experience, type of degree, and year of study. The qualitative results showed that the participants appreciated the supportive environment provided by the intervention program. There was a sustained increase in retention rate after the program was introduced.

The Lebesgue function for generalized Hermite-Fejér interpolation on the Chebyshev nodes

This paper presents a short survey of convergence results and properties of the Lebesgue function λ m,n (x) for(0, 1, …, m )Hermite-Fejer interpolation based on the zeros of the n th Chebyshev polynomial of the first kind. The limiting behaviour as n → ∞ of the Lebesgue constant Λ m,n = max{λ m,n (x) : −1 ≤ x ≤ 1} for even m is then studied, and new results are obtained for the asymptotic expansion of Λ m,n . Finally, graphical evidence is provided of an interesting and unexpected pattern in the distribution of the local maximum values of λ m,n (x) if m ≥ 2 is even.

On Hermite-Fejér type interpolation on the Chebyshev nodes

Given f ∈ C [−1, 1], let H n , 3 ( f , x ) denote the (0,1,2) Hermite-Fejer interpolation polynomial of f based on the Chebyshev nodes. In this paper we develop a precise estimate for the magnitude of the approximation error | H n , 3 ( f , x ) − f ( x )|. Further, we demonstrate a method of combining the divergent Lagrange and (0,1,2) interpolation methods on the Chebyshev nodes to obtain a convergent rational interpolatory process.

Community banks in Australia: an innovative approach to social and economic wealth creation?

Community banks in Australia are a recent new phenomenon. Their ownership structure and operational model, however, suggest an innovative approach to social and economic wealth creation is different from that typical of community and cooperative banks elsewhere in the world. In this paper, we explain and discuss distinctive features of these community banks and how their business model may be adapted elsewhere.

Internet use and the workplace: The Australian Experience

The e-commerce world is now pervasive and individuals without Internet access are at a severe disadvantage with respect to information and access to products and services. The nature and extent of the disadvantage will vary but it will generally involve additional cost and inconvenience. For example, much of the information and services available from government Web sites would be difficult if not impossible to access in any other way. In the business area simply booking a hotel room or an airline flight over the phone is often more expensive than doing the same transaction via the Internet. Although Internet use in Australia is quite high there still remains a significant minority of generally disadvantaged people without access and this work goes some way to identifying this group and pointing to possible reasons for their lack of access. Although there will be some people who have no desire to use the Internet they are in the minority and most people, given the knowledge of how it would benefit them and the opportunity, would take up the option.