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A Proof of NP-Completeness for the K-Means Clustering Algorithm
Get PDFThe k-means clustering algorithm is one of the most widely used clustering techniques in data analysis and machine learning, yet its exact computational complexity remains subject to ongoing theoretical investiga- tion. This work establishes the NP-completeness of k-means by proving (1) it is NP-hard and (2) it lies in NP. To demonstrate NP-hardness, we construct a series of polynomial-time reductions from well-known NP-complete problems. Specifically, we reduce 3sat to Vertex Cover, and then reduce Vertex Cover to k-means, thereby establishing the computational hardness of the k-means clustering problem. We then prove k-means is in NP, and thus conclude it is NP-complete. Furthermore, this work discusses the inap- proximability of k-means, showing no efficient algorithm exists for approximating k-means even within small constant factors. These findings underscore the practical limitations of heuristic approaches and reinforce the theoretical intractability of the k-means clustering algorithm
Narrative (In)completion in Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales and Woolf’s The Waves
Get PDFI examine how narrative and personal completion manifest—and are continually unsettled—in The Canterbury Tales and The Waves. Though separated by centuries and written within vastly different literary traditions, both texts explore the tension between fragmentation and wholeness: the ways in which stories and characters can be constructed from partial, shifting materials, and the ways in which the illusion of completeness can mask deeper absences (holes). Drawing on Woolf’s own theories of reading and character—and her sense that readers instinctively create “rickety and ramshackle” wholes from scattered impressions—I will consider how each text engages with the paradox of narrative closure. In Chaucer, these ideas emerge through the many dimensions and meanings of “hools” (“wholes”)—as they apply to the open structure of the pilgrimage and the polyvocal instability of his characters. Comparably, in Woolf, I explore a parallel between linguistic construction and subject formation as they relate to fragmentation and completion. Ultimately, this project explores how these two authors—one anticipating the novel and the other deconstructing it—confront the limitations of literary form and embrace the fragment as a site of imaginative and existential meaning-making
Visions of the Garden: Transforming the Former Claremont Golf Course into the Coastal Sage Mosaic
Get PDFA thirty-three-acre parcel of land sits at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains at a vulnerable wildland-urban interface (WUI), raising key ecological concerns. This parcel, a former golf course, is the focused site for this conceptual landscape and restoration plan. The now-neglected site has no proposed plans for restoration or development yet holds significant potential for transformation. Stakeholders’ conflicting visions range from land preservation, ecological restoration, Indigenous land rights, commodification for revenue and development, and prioritizing the needs of the natural environment in coexistence with modern human enjoyment. The conceptual plan addresses these critical considerations in verbal and visual format. It proposes the restoration of the site into an open space and garden. In acknowledgement of the colonial history and transformation of the land, design solutions include ecological restoration with a focus on native plants of the California Sage Scrub, together with increased public access, explorative research opportunities, and interactive programming towards an optimistic vision of human and ecosystem health and integration. This conceptual plan proposes converting the site into the Coastal Sage Mosaic, an open space and garden, celebrating the intrinsic beauty of Southern California native ecosystems, a source of inspiration and reflection. It balances ecological restoration with public access, recreation, and education. I envision a space that honors the land’s history, fostering coexistence between nature and community
A Bad Bet for Adolescents: Psychological Perspectives on Sports Betting & Digital Gambling Technologies
Get PDFDigital sports betting is a rapidly expanding sector of the gambling industry, allowing users to place wagers on the outcomes of sporting events from virtually anywhere. While structurally comparable to traditional gambling systems, sports betting is often perceived as a more socially acceptable and accessible alternative, contributing to its growing appeal and largely positive sentiment among Americans. Yet, in the seven years since sports betting has become legalized, growing numbers of Americans have reported psychological and financial problems stemming from problem gambling. Of particular concern is the increasing percentage of adolescents engaging with these platforms, despite legal restrictions on underage access to online betting sites. Given that adolescence is associated with developmental shifts in reward sensitivity, sensation-seeking, and peer influence, normalization of sports betting during this period could lay the foundations for pathological gambling behavior later in life. Through an extensive review of the existing interdisciplinary literature, the paper examines the overlap between the neurological, behavioral, cognitive, and social factors shaping gamblers’ decision-making and the developmental changes stereotypically associated with adolescence. By highlighting these intersections, the thesis argues that the developmental trajectories of adolescents may predispose them to problematic gambling tendencies, particularly in the context of digital sports betting platforms that employ “gamification” to encourage extended interaction. These findings illuminate the need for more stringent regulations on sports betting providers and call for increased resources to be allocated toward analyzing the potential risks of sports betting on adolescents.
Keywords: Sports Betting, Adolescents, Cognitive Distortions, Reward Processing, Dopaminergic System, Social Norm
The Law of the Land: An Analysis of Recent Reforms to Housing Policy in California
Get PDFWhile substantial literature exists on the causes of California’s housing crisis, relatively little is known about the state legislature’s attempts to increase housing supply. This study attempts to address that shortcoming by creating a catalog of all recent changes made to land use law in California. It finds that the state legislature has passed 167 laws related to planning, zoning, and entitlement processes over the previous decade. Through an analysis of the content of those laws, this study identifies 12 policy subtopics. Subtopics that were subject to significant political opposition typically saw less legislative activity. Exceptions to this finding may result from the “clean-up process,” whereby a legislator passes an ambitious bill one year, then returns to the same subtopic in later years with remedial legislation, often facing less opposition.
To provide additional context on the impact of recent land use legislation, this study relies on 13 interviews with stakeholders in local government and housing development. Interviewees report that only a small subset of reforms has yielded new opportunities for housing development, with those related to the Housing Accountability Act and density bonus being the most useful. Interviews with stakeholders also indicate that incrementalism in policymaking can be a viable approach to land use reform in California, but only on issues that are not significantly affected by special interests such as environmentalists and construction labor unions. On policy reforms that have achieved initial success, this study finds that the state may need to provide additional education and legal support to ensure full implementation of the law
Procedural Reform and One-Sided Litigation: Evaluating the Impact of California’s Fair Debt Buying Practices Act
Get PDFThis study evaluates whether California’s Fair Debt Buying Practices Act (CFDBPA), effective January 2014, improved litigation outcomes in consumer debt lawsuits. The CFDBPA sought to curb abusive practices by imposing heightened documentation requirements on debt buyers. Using a dataset of 535,766 limited-jurisdiction debt collection cases filed in Los Angeles County between 2012 and 2022, a constrained difference-in-differences event study design compares outcomes between secondary and non-secondary debt buyers before and after the law’s implementation.
The analysis finds modest changes: dismissals for secondary buyers increased slightly relative to non-secondary buyers, but default judgment rates remained high. Defendant response rates declined for secondary buyer cases over time, while pro se representation rates stayed low. Motions to set aside judgments remained rare. Average principal amounts pursued by secondary buyers fell modestly after the law but converged with non-secondary buyers by year five. Short-term volatility in writs of execution and proof of service practices was observed but diminished over time.
The findings suggest the CFDBPA created limited procedural disruptions without substantively altering litigation power dynamics. Secondary buyers adapted strategically by adjusting filing practices and case composition rather than facing widespread litigation disadvantages. These results highlight the limitations of procedural reforms enacted without complementary increases in consumer legal representation or systemic enforcement. Strengthening procedural protections alone appears insufficient to rebalance outcomes in a system where access to counsel remains heavily asymmetric
The Mexican Electricity Market: The Role of Private Participation in Providing Affordable, Reliable, and Sustainable Electricity
No full textMexico’s electricity sector faces the urgent challenge of expanding access to clean, reliable, and affordable electricity amid rising demand and climate commitments. This thesis examines the role of private participation in meeting these objectives, focusing on the effects of the 2013 energy reform and the consequences of recent policy reversals under the AMLO and Sheinbaum administrations. Drawing on a review of existing literature, past and current regulations, and market trends, the analysis highlights how private generators have been critical to the growth of renewable capacity and the expansion of electricity supply. Recent reforms that restrict private participation threaten to undermine these gains and slow Mexico’s energy transition. The thesis recommends restoring competitive market structures, strengthening regulatory independence, reviving the Clean Energy Certificates (CELs) program, and reforming electricity subsidies to better target low- income households while preserving incentives for private investment
Trade Tensions and Consumer Decisions: Evidence from Taxable Sales During the 2018 US-China Trade War
Get PDFThis paper examines the consumption response to the 2018 US-China trade war. While prior research has largely focused on economic outcomes such as export values, income, and employment, trade policies may also have salient distributional consequences for consumption. On one hand, import tariffs may boost well-being in regions with greater employment in protected sectors, such as manufacturing. On the other hand, retaliatory tariffs may raise prices overall and depress consumption in areas more reliant on the Chinese market, such as agriculture. To explore these dynamics, I construct a novel dataset of county-level taxable sales, capturing both household and business spending. Using a fixed effects model, I find that greater exposure to import tariffs did not significantly increase consumption. In contrast, a one-unit increase in retaliatory tariff exposure is associated with a 0.157 percent decline in real taxable sales per capita. These results, however, disappear once I analyze retail sales data across five sectors, which consist of transactions to the final consumer. Overall, my findings suggest that household spending in counties highly exposed to the trade war did not meaningfully differ in the short run compared to less affected areas
CMC Thesis Chatbot
Get PDFThis GitHub repo is a senior thesis for Claremont McKenna College; it is a thesis about theses. The project is an interactive RAG-based chatbot that helps students, researchers, and faculty explore Claremont McKenna College senior theses. The goal was to create a domain-specific chatbot to show that it is possible to combat the limitations of AI, including hallucinations, outdated data, and lack of domain expertise. The website link is:
CMCThesisChatbo
From Payroll to Paychecks: Impact of Faculty Compensation on Graduate Labor Market Outcomes
No full textAmid the growing reevaluation of college affordability and student outcomes, concerns about the long-term effectiveness of higher education have intensified. This study examines whether faculty compensation can serve as a predictor of graduate earnings across U.S. colleges and universities. Using institution-level panel data from the College Scorecard (2008–2015), I analyze how average monthly faculty salary, as a proxy for instructional expenditure, correlates with student earnings ten years after enrollment. I apply Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression models and control for a broad set of institutional and demographic variables, revealing a consistent and positive association between faculty pay and graduate earnings. This relationship holds across sectors, regions, and income levels, though its strength varies with institutional characteristics and student populations. Rather than treating faculty salary as a routine operational cost, this paper positions it as a strategic expenditure with implications for institutional performance and economic mobility. Despite limitations related to the use of institution-level data, the findings contribute to ongoing debates about how colleges allocate resources and deliver value. Prioritizing faculty compensation stands out as a potential lever for improving educational outcomes, enhancing the long-term impact of higher education, and informing future policy directions on institutional spending priorities