Is the Vote Against Adhesion of Switzerland to the European Economic Area Really the Beginning
of a Divided Switzerland?
Distinguished Visiting Professor
Yadolah Dodge,
Neuchatel University, Switzerland
Date:
November 28, 2010
Time: 1:00pm to 2:00pm
Place: Room 1044 SSE – Mathematics and Actuarial Science Seminar Room
Abstract
On the 6th of December, 1992, the Swiss population voted against the “Adhesion of Switzerland to the
European Economic Area”. Swiss German cantons, except the Basel-City and Basel-Land, voted against,
and all French speaking cantons voted in favor of adhesion. Shocked by this outcome, the media, the
politicians, and the population itself took this date as the beginning of the divided Switzerland. The
purpose of this article is to show that what happened on that day was not a new phenomenon but was in
line with more than a century of voting.
Thoughts on the Use of the Correlation Coefficient
A Public Lecture by
Distinguished Visiting Professor
Yadolah Dodge,
Neuchatel University, Switzerland
Date:
November 29, 2010
Time: 1:00pm to 2:00pm
Place: Room 1044 SSE – Mathematics and Actuarial Science Seminar Room
Abstract
Under the hypothesis of the existence of linear relationship between two random variables, new formulas
are introduced to express the coefficient of correlation. One of these formulas, the fourth power of the
correlation coefficient is used to determine the direction of dependency between two random variables.
Also an interpretation of the correlation coefficient as an asymmetric function of kurtosis coefficient and
skewness coefficient of dependent variable and independent variable is provided. In the absence of the
intercept in linear regression, the correlation coefficient is also expressed as a ratio of coefficients of
variation between independent and dependent variables.