@inproceedings{11864, abstract = {Auctions are widely used on the Web. Applications range from internet advertising to platforms such as eBay. In most of these applications the auctions in use are single/multi-item auctions with unit demand. The main drawback of standard mechanisms for this type of auctions, such as VCG and GSP, is the limited expressiveness that they offer to the bidders. The General Auction Mechanism (GAM) of [1] is taking a first step towards addressing the problem of limited expressiveness by computing a bidder optimal, envy free outcome for linear utility functions with identical slopes and a single discontinuity per bidder-item pair. We show that in many practical situations this does not suffice to adequately model the preferences of the bidders, and we overcome this problem by presenting the first mechanism for piece-wise linear utility functions with non-identical slopes and multiple discontinuities. Our mechanism runs in polynomial time. Like GAM it is incentive compatible for inputs that fulfill a certain non-degeneracy requirement, but our requirement is more general than the requirement of GAM. For discontinuous utility functions that are non-degenerate as well as for continuous utility functions the outcome of our mechanism is a competitive equilibrium. We also show how our mechanism can be used to compute approximately bidder optimal, envy free outcomes for a general class of continuous utility functions via piece-wise linear approximation. Finally, we prove hardness results for even more expressive settings.}, author = {Dütting, Paul and Henzinger, Monika H and Weber, Ingmar}, booktitle = {Proceedings of the 20th international conference on World wide web}, isbn = {978-145030632-4}, location = {Hyderabad, India}, pages = {127 -- 136}, publisher = {Association for Computing Machinery}, title = {{An expressive mechanism for auctions on the web}}, doi = {10.1145/1963405.1963427}, year = {2011}, } @article{12651, abstract = {Temperature data from three Automatic Weather Stations and twelve Temperature Loggers are used to investigate the spatiotemporal variability of temperature over a glacier, its main atmospheric controls, the suitability of extrapolation techniques and their effect on melt modeling. We use data collected on Juncal Norte Glacier, central Chile, during one ablation season. We examine temporal and spatial variability in lapse rates (LRs), together with alternative statistical interpolation methods. The main control over the glacier thermal regime is the development of a katabatic boundary layer (KBL). Katabatic wind occurs at night and in the morning and is eroded in the afternoon. LRs reveal strong diurnal variability, with steeper LRs during the day when the katabatic wind weakens and shallower LRs during the night and morning. We suggest that temporally variable LRs should be used to account for the observed change. They tend to be steeper than equivalent constant LRs, and therefore result in a reduction in simulated melt compared to use of constant LRs when extrapolating from lower to higher elevations. In addition to the temporal variability, the temperature-elevation relationship varies also in space. Differences are evident between local LRs and including such variability in melt modeling affects melt simulations. Extrapolation methods based on the spatial variability of the observations after removal of the elevation trend, such as Inverse Distance Weighting or Kriging, do not seem necessary for simulations of gridded temperature data over a glacier.}, author = {Petersen, L. and Pellicciotti, Francesca}, issn = {0148-0227}, journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres}, keywords = {Paleontology, Space and Planetary Science, Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous), Atmospheric Science, Earth-Surface Processes, Geochemistry and Petrology, Soil Science, Water Science and Technology, Ecology, Aquatic Science, Forestry, Oceanography, Geophysics}, number = {D23}, publisher = {American Geophysical Union}, title = {{Spatial and temporal variability of air temperature on a melting glacier: Atmospheric controls, extrapolation methods and their effect on melt modeling, Juncal Norte Glacier, Chile}}, doi = {10.1029/2011jd015842}, volume = {116}, year = {2011}, } @article{12649, abstract = {Physically based hydrological models describe natural processes more accurately than conceptual models but require extensive data sets to produce accurate results. To identify the value of different data sets for improving the performance of the distributed hydrological model TOPKAPI we combine a multivariable validation technique with Monte Carlo simulations. The study is carried out in the snow and ice-dominated Rhonegletscher basin, as these types of mountainous basins are generally the most critical with respect to data availability and sensitivity to climate fluctuations. Each observational data set is used individually and in combination with the other data sets to determine a subset of best parameter combinations out of 10,000 Monte Carlos runs performed with randomly generated parameter sets. We validate model results against discharge, glacier mass balance, and satellite snow cover images for a 14 year time period (1994–2007). While the use of all data sets combined provides the best overall model performance (defined by the concurrent best agreement of simulated discharge, snow cover and mass balance with their respective measurements), the use of one or two variables for constraining the model results in poorer performance. Using only one data set for constraining the model glacier mass balance proved to be the most efficient observation leading to the best overall model performance. Our main result is that a combination of discharge and satellite snow cover images is best for improving model performance, since the volumetric information of discharge data and the spatial information of snow cover images are complementary.}, author = {Finger, David and Pellicciotti, Francesca and Konz, Markus and Rimkus, Stefan and Burlando, Paolo}, issn = {0043-1397}, journal = {Water Resources Research}, number = {7}, publisher = {American Geophysical Union}, title = {{The value of glacier mass balance, satellite snow cover images, and hourly discharge for improving the performance of a physically based distributed hydrological model}}, doi = {10.1029/2010wr009824}, volume = {47}, year = {2011}, } @article{12652, abstract = {We explore the robustness and transferability of parameterizations of cloud radiative forcing used in glacier melt models at two sites in the Swiss Alps. We also look at the rationale behind some of the most commonly used approaches, and explore the relationship between cloud transmittance and several standard meteorological variables. The 2 m air-temperature diurnal range is the best predictor of variations in cloud transmittance. However, linear and exponential parameterizations can only explain 30–50% of the observed variance in computed cloud transmittance factors. We examine the impact of modelled cloud transmittance factors on both solar radiation and ablation rates computed with an enhanced temperature-index model. The melt model performance decreases when modelled radiation is used, the reduction being due to an underestimation of incoming solar radiation on clear-sky days. The model works well under overcast conditions. We also seek alternatives to the use of in situ ground data. However, outputs from an atmospheric model (2.2 km horizontal resolution) do not seem to provide an alternative to the parameterizations of cloud radiative forcing based on observations of air temperature at glacier automatic weather stations. Conversely, the correct definition of overcast conditions is important.}, author = {Pellicciotti, Francesca and Raschle, Thomas and Huerlimann, Thomas and Carenzo, Marco and Burlando, Paolo}, issn = {1727-5652}, journal = {Journal of Glaciology}, number = {202}, pages = {367--381}, publisher = {Cambridge University Press}, title = {{Transmission of solar radiation through clouds on melting glaciers: A comparison of parameterizations and their impact on melt modelling}}, doi = {10.3189/002214311796406013}, volume = {57}, year = {2011}, } @inbook{12650, abstract = {Streamflow is a hydrological variable measured at a defined river cross-section; it spatially integrates the runoff generating processes in the contributing watershed, including precipitation and air temperature. Trends in streamflow are progressive changes in the time series of streamflow that can be detected with statistical methods and their statistical significance can be assessed. Mountainous regions are particularly vulnerable to streamflow change because of their high specific runoff and the sensitivity to the distribution of precipitation and air temperature, and the processes of snow accumulation and melt.}, author = {Molnar, Peter and Burlando, Paolo and Pellicciotti, Francesca}, booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Snow, Ice and Glaciers}, editor = {Singh, Vijay and Singh, Pratap and Haritashya, Umesh}, isbn = {978-90-481-2641-5}, issn = {1871-756X}, pages = {1084--1089}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Streamflow Trends in Mountainous Regions}}, doi = {10.1007/978-90-481-2642-2_543}, year = {2011}, }