title: Game Theory in a Napoleonic Context: Establishing Napoleon's Utility and Application to the 1805 War of the Third Coalition

authors: Ranger, Gareth A.

subjects: game theory

abstract: Game theory has existed in the fields of mathematics and economics for over 60 years. This thesis assesses its viability for use in the field of history, and in particular, in the Napoleonic era. It does this by analysing the opening phase of the 1805 War of the Third Coalition, fought between France and the Allies. It starts by examining the existing literature on game theory in the Napoleonic era. It then analyses game theory in order to extract concepts from the theory that have value in a military setting. Third, it makes use of primary and secondary sources to define Napoleon Bonaparte’s motivational drives. Finally, it uses these drives and game theory in order to assess whether Napoleon’s opening strategy in the War of the Third Coalition was the best strategy to select. The study finds that his utility was influenced by a core drive: narcissism, and by his primary drives: ‘thirst for power’, ‘elimination of boredom’, immortality, and glory. It also concludes that ‘opportunism’ affected his decision making processes. The study found that Napoleon selected his opening strategy in the War of the Third Coalition with precision, and that game theory is limited in its current state, but that, despite this, it has value for the study of history.

text: Game Theory in a Napoleonic Context: Establishing Napoleon's Utility and Application to the 1805 War of the Third Coalition Game theory has existed in the fields of mathematics and economics for over 60 years. This thesis assesses its viability for use in the field of history, and in particular, in the Napoleonic era. It does this by analysing the opening phase of the 1805 War of the Third Coalition, fought between France and the Allies. It starts by examining the existing literature on game theory in the Napoleonic era. It then analyses game theory in order to extract concepts from the theory that have value in a military setting. Third, it makes use of primary and secondary sources to define Napoleon Bonaparte’s motivational drives. Finally, it uses these drives and game theory in order to assess whether Napoleon’s opening strategy in the War of the Third Coalition was the best strategy to select. The study finds that his utility was influenced by a core drive: narcissism, and by his primary drives: ‘thirst for power’, ‘elimination of boredom’, immortality, and glory. It also concludes that ‘opportunism’ affected his decision making processes. The study found that Napoleon selected his opening strategy in the War of the Third Coalition with precision, and that game theory is limited in its current state, but that, despite this, it has value for the study of history.

year: 2013

title: Editorial: Jean-Luc Godard's film socialisme and the pedagogy of the image

authors: Peters, Michael A.

abstract: Editorial. The philosophy of film, or film philosophy, has experienced new life since the 1980s, to explore various aspects of film as an artistic medium: the nature of film, director as auteur, film narration, and the effects of film on philosophy. It could be argued that philosophy caught up with film as a dominant medium in the 20th century while pedagogy remains hopelessly tangled in the textualism of print culture and barely able to register the existence of new social media with which most students have considerable fluency.

text: Editorial: Jean-Luc Godard's film socialisme and the pedagogy of the image Editorial. The philosophy of film, or film philosophy, has experienced new life since the 1980s, to explore various aspects of film as an artistic medium: the nature of film, director as auteur, film narration, and the effects of film on philosophy. It could be argued that philosophy caught up with film as a dominant medium in the 20th century while pedagogy remains hopelessly tangled in the textualism of print culture and barely able to register the existence of new social media with which most students have considerable fluency.

year: 2012

title: Studies on the conservation of waterlogged wood in New Zealand

authors: Wallace, Roderick Thomas

abstract: This thesis is a study of properties of certain New Zealand woods recovered from waterlogged environments. The woods are those which were commonly used by the pre-european Maori to make artefacts, and the properties are those which affect the way these artefacts can be conserved after they have been removed from wet archaeological sites.
The properties studied were (a) the species of wood used (b) the forms and shapes of the timbers (c) the densities (d) directional shrinkages, and (e) directional penetrabilities of each wood. The results of this research are intended to aid conservators to correctly treat the artefacts. 
The research began with studies of (a) New Zealand wet site archaeology, (b) the structure and properties of wood in general, and (c) the techniques used to conserve waterlogged wood worldwide.
This was followed by a survey of circa. 1000 wooden Maori artefacts from Museums involving the identification, by thin section microscopy, of wood species. 30 wood types from 22 tree species were found to have been widely used. A collection was made of samples of each type in different states of decay. 
Each sample was tested for density, directional shrinkage and directional penetrability.
The penetrability was measured by vacuum impregnation of water into wood blocks. Results were compared to those from sound oak (Quercus robur), a wood which has been studied intensively by conservators in Europe. 
Detailed summaries of the conservation properties of 26 wood types are given. This reveals that while some New Zealand woods are easy to conserve others provide considerable problems. The latter woods are all highly durable in wet sites, extremely dense, have high shrinkages and are highly impenetrable. These will require special types of treatment to avoid damage during conservation.

text: Studies on the conservation of waterlogged wood in New Zealand This thesis is a study of properties of certain New Zealand woods recovered from waterlogged environments. The woods are those which were commonly used by the pre-european Maori to make artefacts, and the properties are those which affect the way these artefacts can be conserved after they have been removed from wet archaeological sites.
The properties studied were (a) the species of wood used (b) the forms and shapes of the timbers (c) the densities (d) directional shrinkages, and (e) directional penetrabilities of each wood. The results of this research are intended to aid conservators to correctly treat the artefacts. 
The research began with studies of (a) New Zealand wet site archaeology, (b) the structure and properties of wood in general, and (c) the techniques used to conserve waterlogged wood worldwide.
This was followed by a survey of circa. 1000 wooden Maori artefacts from Museums involving the identification, by thin section microscopy, of wood species. 30 wood types from 22 tree species were found to have been widely used. A collection was made of samples of each type in different states of decay. 
Each sample was tested for density, directional shrinkage and directional penetrability.
The penetrability was measured by vacuum impregnation of water into wood blocks. Results were compared to those from sound oak (Quercus robur), a wood which has been studied intensively by conservators in Europe. 
Detailed summaries of the conservation properties of 26 wood types are given. This reveals that while some New Zealand woods are easy to conserve others provide considerable problems. The latter woods are all highly durable in wet sites, extremely dense, have high shrinkages and are highly impenetrable. These will require special types of treatment to avoid damage during conservation.

year: 1985