Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for University

SOCIAL:

• Population development in the relevant countries (important groups, migration…).
• Social-psychological currents (work mentality, propensity to save, leisure behaviour, automation, relevant materials and products).

TECHNOLOGICAL:

• Production technology (trends in the process technology, innovation, automation…).
• The speed of product innovation.
• Substitution technologies (possible innovations, development of costs).
• Recycling technology.

LEGAL:

• Trends in economic policy (tax, compliance, competition laws).
• Trends in social legislation, labour law.
• Importance, freedom and influence of trade unions.

ECOLOGICAL:

It refers to trends in the protection of environment (environmental awareness, environmental impact and environmental legislation). Availability... Continue reading "Analysis of Social, Technological, Legal, Ecological, and Organizational Trends" »

Moulds for Casting

Mould made of ceramic material e.g. sand particles, bound together with a BINDER which may be:

• Clay: 90% sand, 8% clay, 2% water - green sand mould.
• Thermosetting resin system - coat sand with two or more reactants which cure to form a resin (typically 1 - 2 parts binder to 100 parts sand):
  • Curing begins immediately components are combined, for a period of time after initial mixing the sand is workable and flowable to allow filling of mould - No bake systems.
  • Phenolic - urethane no bake is most common.
  • Curing occurs upon application of heat – heat cured binder system.
  • Liquid thermosetting binder and a catalyst are mixed with dry sand. Upon heating the catalyst releases acid which induces a rapid cure in 10 – 15 s. Pattern is

Building a Sudoku Solver in Java with Backtracking

This document presents a Java implementation of a Sudoku solver, utilizing a classic backtracking algorithm. The code demonstrates how to represent a Sudoku board, check for valid moves, and recursively find a solution to the puzzle.

Initial Sudoku Puzzle Setup

The Sudoku board is represented as a 2D integer array. A value of 0 indicates an empty cell that needs to be filled.

int[][] board = {
  { 8, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 },
  { 0, 0, 3, 6, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 },
  { 0, 7, 0, 0, 9, 0, 2, 0, 0 },
  { 0, 5, 0, 0, 0, 7, 0, 0, 0 },
  { 0, 0, 0, 0, 4, 5, 7, 0, 0 },
  { 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 3, 0 },
  { 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 6, 8 },
  { 0, 0, 8, 5, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0 },
  { 0, 9, 0, 0, 0, 0, 4, 0, 0 }
};

Implementing

Open Rate Metrics

The open rate for an email sent to multiple recipients is most often calculated as the total number of "opened" emails, expressed as a percentage of the total number of emails sent or—more usually—delivered. As a result, open rates are broadly rejected as an absolute measure of a commercial email's performance.

Key Performance Indicators (KPI)

A KPI is a marketing indicator that helps you measure and quantify key factors of your marketing strategy, such as conversion rate and recurrent buyers.

SEMrush SEO Capabilities

SEMrush is an SEO tool that performs your keyword research, tracks the keyword strategy used by your competition, runs an SEO audit of your blog, looks for backlinking opportunities, and much more. SEMrush is... Continue reading "Essential Digital Marketing Terms and Definitions" »

Key Inbound Marketing Concepts

What Is Inbound Marketing?

Inbound marketing is a strategy that focuses on attracting customers or leads via company-created content (Content Marketing), thereby having potential customers come to the company rather than marketers asking for their attention. This type of marketing tries to make it easier for customers, who are already actively looking for goods or services via the Internet, to find what a company offers.

Defining Your Brand Voice

The brand voice is the company's communication manual, a document that guides marketing and community manager staff on the best ways to communicate (and what to avoid).

Transactional Emails Explained

A transactional email is an email sent as a result of an interaction on a... Continue reading "Core Concepts in Digital Marketing: Automation & Lead Scoring" »

The Fall of the German Democratic Republic

The swift and unexpected downfall of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) was triggered by the decay of other communist regimes in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union.

The Breach of the Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall was, in effect, breached in the summer of 1989 when a reformist Hungarian government began allowing East Germans to escape to Austria. By the fall, thousands of East Germans had followed this route, while thousands of others immigrated to West Germany.

In an effort to halt the deterioration of its position, the SED Politburo deposed Honecker in mid-October and replaced him with another hard-line communist, Egon Krenz. Under Krenz, the Politburo sought to eliminate the embarrassment occasioned... Continue reading "German Reunification: The Fall of the Berlin Wall" »

AC Asynchronous Motors

Direct-on-Line (DOL) Starter

(+) Simple starter scheme. High starting torque. Low cost.

(-) High starter current (input line should admit this current). Abrupt start, mechanical shock, risk of breakage. Higher bearing, belt, or chain transmission wear. Uncontrolled stopping.

(Applications) Up to 3kW motors. Small machines which can start with maximum load, without mechanical problems (bearings, belts, chains). Small water pumps, compressors, fans, and conveyor belts.

Star/Delta Starter

(+) Good torque/current ratio. Starting current reduction. Relatively inexpensive starter.

(-) Low torque at the beginning. Power failure in changing. Motor connection with 6 connectors. No velocity regulation.

(Applications) Low power fans and... Continue reading "AC & DC Motor Types: Characteristics, Advantages, and Applications" »

C. Placement: Where to Distribute the Product

When a firm produces a narrow assortment of products in large quantities, intermediaries play a crucial role in matching supply and demand. They achieve this by purchasing large quantities from producers and breaking them down into a broader assortment of smaller quantities to meet consumer demand for variety and convenience.

Distribution Channel

A distribution channel is a network of interdependent organizations that collaborate to make a product or service accessible for use or consumption by consumers or businesses.

Functions of Channel Members:

1. Information: Gathering and distributing information about consumers, producers, and market forces to facilitate planning and exchange.
2. Promotion: Developing

Special Pricing Strategies

1. For a New Product

Different stages in a product’s life cycle involve different goals, which require different pricing strategies.

A. Market-Skimming Price

Setting a high price for a new product to skim maximum revenues layer by layer from segments willing to pay the high price; the company makes fewer but more profitable sales. Example: Apple introduces new products with high prices, and then, when the new model is introduced, the older model decreases in price.

Conditions:

• Good quality and image
• Enough buyers
• Profitable → revenues can’t be offset by the costs of producing on a small scale
• Competitors can’t enter easily

B. Market Penetration Price

Setting a low price for a new product in order to attract a large number... Continue reading "Effective Pricing Strategies for Businesses" »

Spain's Personal Income Tax (IRPF) Explained

Personal Income Tax in Spain, known as IRPF (Impuesto sobre la Renta de las Personas Físicas), represents nearly 38% of government revenues. Since 2007, the responsibility for regulating and collecting IRPF has been decentralized. Autonomous regions are responsible for collecting 50% of tax revenue, although all returns and amounts are actually received by the central tax authority on their behalf.

IRPF Rates and Collection

A single national rate applies per taxation band for the whole national portion of the income tax. Tax rates on the regional portion vary significantly between regions, with Madrid having the lowest and Catalonia the highest. Tax is withheld by the employer monthly on behalf of... Continue reading "Spain's Personal Income Tax (IRPF): Key Facts" »