Optimization Modeling Using R (OMUR) was published by CRC Press. This book uses the popular data science language, R, to teach optimization approaches. It does not assume proficiency with R to start but introduces that along the way. It walks through two variable problems through examples with thousands of variables. Along the way, it adds integer variables and goal programming.

Using R and algebraic modeling provides the opportunity to integrate with the rich toolbox of R extensions and workflows. It also prepares the reader to then smoothly transition to other platforms such as Python or Gurobi if needed.  

Consistent with the tradition of the R community and books by Hadley Wickham, Chester Ismay, and others, a condition of this book was to have it be available to the public as well. All files for the book are available on github.   An errata is available and very helpful for readers of the print or ebook version! The github repository incorporates all material from the errata.

Over 13% of American adults (more than 30 million people) have some degree of hearing loss and yet many people still feel like this is only for older people. Hearing loss affects all ages with infants born deaf. Many adults develop hearing loss slowly or suddenly for a wide range of reasons. Unilateral or single-sided hearing loss is becoming more common with new treatment options.

When I started my hearing journey in 2006, I found it difficult to find resources and support, particularly for people with single-sided deafness. This book was written to be the book that I needed years ago. I have had the help of many others over the years, and this is my attempt to pay it forward.

The book is intended for people with hearing loss, family members of those with hearing loss, and people interested in getting a pursuing a career in hearing science. This is my personal story and is not meant to serve as medical advice.

The book is available online from all major book resellers (Amazon, Kindle, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, and more.)  If this is a barrier, please contact me directly for electronic version. 

Click on the Hearing tab in this website to see other resources and links.

I started writing this book for the ETA Research Group and students interested in doing research applying DEA to benchmark organizations.  I ended up focusing earlier on the Optimization Modeling Using R (OMUR) book.  This book is about 95% complete and builds upon the OMUR book.  

Data Envelopment Analysis is a popular benchmarking tool that has been widely used in areas such as comparing schools, hospitals, factories, and warehouses. This book introduces various DEA models, shows how to implement them in R, and provides advice on model building.  Chapter 8 uses baseball for a variety of simple but rich examples ranging from benchmarking individuals (batters) to organizations (teams) by way of a rich historical dataset.  Chapter 9 then looks at applications from an early book using DEA for examining the commercialization of technology. Chapter 10 then examines DEA variants for examining the changing performance of organizations-how much is due to a rising tide vs. better management? Chapter 11 then examines how we can predict future product performance.

Materials are available on Github.  Please reach out for questions and more information.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Input-Oriented Envelopment Model

3. Matrix Implementation of DEA

4. Other Orientations

5. Multiplier Models

6. Cross-Efficiency

7. DEA Modeling Issues and Questions

8. Baseball Benchmarking Applications

9. Revisiting Technology Commercialization

10. Changing Performance over Time

11. Advancing Products over Time

12. Benchmarking the Benchmarkers

Appendix A: DEA Helper Functions