Research

The Department of Decision Sciences remains, together with the other departments of the School of Economic and Financial Sciences, at the forefront of research in the College of Economic and Management Sciences. The research done in the Department reflects the interdisciplinary approach typical of operations research and related subjects.

Research groups

Although a considerable amount of research is conducted in staff members' personal capacity, the following groups operate in the Department.

Computability and Complexity in Decision Sciences (CCDS)

The research group Computability and Complexity in Decision Sciences (CCDS) at the University of South Africa (Unisa) in Pretoria is one of South Africa’s pre-eminent centres for research in theoretical computer science (including foundations of quantum computing) as well as being at the forefront of research into computational and fractal properties of sample paths of Brownian motion (BM) and images of sets under BM. The group has also investigated computational and constructive aspects of economic models and was the main South African partner in a project funded under the South Africa-Hungary Science and Technology Agreement (NRF UID: 62110) entitled Computers and Algorithms in Mathematical Economics and Finance. The group currently participates in the Computing with Infinite Data project, funded by the European Union. The research group members are Prof P Potgieter, Prof WL Fouche, Prof G Davie.

Research Group in Modelling and Optimisation

The main focus of the group is on modelling, algorithmic and practical aspects of optimisation. It also aims at exposing itself to wide frontiers in the field of mathematical programming and to meet new challenges Optimisation Theory has in the overlap of several disciplines. The group seeks to strike an optimal balance between contributing to the progress of knowledge and increasing of the value of research outcomes by applying them to solving, effectively and efficiently, concrete real-life problems.

Research Group in Quantitative Finance

The research group in Quantitative Finance focus on studying and applying techniques from Approximation Theory, Machine Learning, Stochastic Processes and Control Theory to better understand and address problems in the fields of Financial Derivatives Pricing, Portfolio Optimisation and Risk Management.

• Financial Derivatives Pricing: Developing and calibrating models for options pricing.
• Portfolio Optimisation: Developing strategies that yield optimal investment portfolios that balance risk and return.
• Risk Management: Modelling various types of financial risk, such as market risk and credit risk.

Publications and research outputs

Information about Publications are available under staff members' personal pages.