University of Groningen
Optimal bounds, bounded optimality
Böhm, Udo
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Publication date: 2018
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Böhm, U. (2018). Optimal bounds, bounded optimality: Models of impatience in decision-making. University of Groningen.
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Acknowledgements
This thesis would not have been possible without the help and support of many people, to whom I owe a great debt of gratitude. First of all, I would like to thank my supervisor, Eric-Jan Wagenmakers. E.J., when we started writing the proposal for this project six years ago, we had only met once. With not much more to go on than Hedderik’s word that this student could do the project, you decided to be my promoter. Despite your busy schedule, you always had an open ear and eventually even took over the supervision of the project. I am very grateful for all the support, the discussions, your never-ending flow of ideas and your immeasurable tolerance for my many side projects and (mathematical) distractions. I hope that we will keep arguing whether ‘whilst’ is a word for many papers to come.
I would also like to thank my co-supervisors Dora Matzke and Leendert van Maanen. Dora, thanks for the many funny stories, the anecdotes, and the pos-itivity you bring to the group every day. Your work ethic has been inspirational and there is no one better to have a rant about diffusion models with than you. Leendert, since we met at my first international conference it has felt as if you were always around to discuss models and experiments with, to bounce ideas forth and back, and to add some practical realism to my abstract ideas. Thanks for always being that small step ahead to show that it can be done.
My gratitude also goes to the many people who have been involved in the more practical and scientific aspects of my work. To Hedderik van Rijn who supported the early stages of the project. To the members of the defence committee, Rob Meijer, Han van der Maas, Francis Tuerlinckx, Marieke van Vugt and Don van Ravenzwaaij, thank you for taking the time to read and evaluate my work. I am also grateful to the many coauthors who helped me replace some bad ideas with better ones and make my work more readable in general. On the practical side of matters, I am very grateful to the University of Amsterdam for providing a scientific home for me during the last 3 years of my PhD, and to Han who made many complicated things a lot easier for me. Many thanks also go to Ans van Rijsbergen who kept me in the loop and helped me deal with all the paperwork efficiently.
A special thanks goes to my paranymphs, Johnny van Doorn and Alexander Ly. Johnny, you are a bit more than the opposite half that makes us work as a
Acknowledgements
great team. Your talent to find the right words in a sticky situation and to explain that complicated thing in a very uncomplicated way is amazing; there is no one I would rather be teaching programming (or any other complicated thing) with. Lexy, thanks for all the inappropriate jokes that no party can do without and thanks for all the guerrilla lectures (Johnny’s words) on anything from real and complex analysis to probability and measure theory. Your roadmap has guided much of my journey into mathematics, and the breadth of your knowledge and the depth of your understanding are a lasting inspiration to me.
This academic adventure would not have been half as much fun without the people I got to meet and work with. Jacolien, Tadeusz, Lieze, Enkhbold, Robert, Matthieu, Lexy, Sacha, thanks for being great office mates and for sharing the pains and beer (or orange juice) that are part and parcel of working in academia. Thanks also to Rob and Edyta who know how to have a good party with minimal equipment and preparation. I am also grateful to all the members of E.J.’s lab who make working here a pleasant and fun experience during as well as outside of office hours.
Last but certainly not least I would like to thank my family for all the love and support. You were always there for me and offered your help and support whenever I needed it. I would not have got to where I am now without you.
