Arnav Garg | University of California, Los Angeles (original) (raw)

Papers by Arnav Garg

My family has had an ongoing issue with excessive sweating due to our genes. The bigger problem i... more My family has had an ongoing issue with excessive sweating due to our genes. The bigger problem is that this excessive sweating causes skin rashes on the body, which leads to itching, pathogenic build up and poor levels of hygiene. One of the reasons these rashes occur is that cloth washing detergents are not always able to completely remove dry and dissolved sweat from within the clothing. This accumulates after each wash and causes irritation to the skin. It was therefore decided to understand how detergents work and how they affect the cleansing of clothes. It was also decided to investigate if another form of detergent, such as the one used for washing hands, is more effective than cloth washing detergent.

The Duckworth Lewis (D/L) System is used to reset targets in the second innings of a game of cric... more The Duckworth Lewis (D/L) System is used to reset targets in the second innings of a game of cricket should it be interrupted by rain, sandstorms, bad light or a crowd issue. Time and again, skepticism has been expressed in newspapers about the credibility of this method. As a cricket enthusiast who was curious, I decided to take this opportunity to explore the mathematics that is used in this very important system of prediction. Before getting into the details, I decided to look at the history of methods to reset targets to see how different methods of revising targets have evolved over time. This helped me understand past problems and how they were countered. Then, I explored the D/L system to understand what it was and how it is used. Knowledge about the D/L method is very limited, so I tried to grasp it with the best of my ability. I observed that one of the drawbacks of using the D/L method was that the quality of batsmen and bowlers was not accounted for. To tackle this assumption and improve the prediction mechanism of the D/L method, I decided to create my own variable and include it in the D/L method. This is my proposal for an improvement to the current prediction method.

This essay investigates Sankara Eye Foundation’s ability as a private healthcare firm in providin... more This essay investigates Sankara Eye Foundation’s ability as a private healthcare firm in providing cataract surgeries to a level required by the market. Therefore, the research question: To what extent does a private firm, ‘Sankara Eye Foundation’, provide high quality ‘cataract surgery’ to a socially optimum level in Bangalore, Karnataka, India? was formed.

Cataract surgery, a merit good, is discussed to show that economies of scale allows Sankara to provide free cataract surgeries. To gain stronger understanding, both primary and secondary data were collected and analyzed. An interview was conducted with Mr. Vikram Chaudhuri, the CEO of Sankara Eye Foundation, to understand how Sankara functions and attains low cost of production. 100 patients were surveyed at a community outreach programme to understand trends in age, gender and change in income post the surgery. Data was tabulated in the form of pie charts and bar graphs. Secondary sources included various information booklets, brochures, handouts and Sankara’s website.

Results from data analysis revealed that Sankara works on an 80-20 model in which 80% patients opt for free medical services and 20% pay for their surgeries. Sankara gains significant internal economies of scale in the form of division of labor, managerial, technical, financial and marketing economies of scale, thereby correcting market failure to an extent as cataract surgeries are underprovided by the market. Sankara funds free surgeries with the money from paid surgeries as its cost of providing cataract surgeries decreases. Data also suggests that most patients feel independent, increasingly contribute to the economy, reduce the dependency on other patients and citizens, and move up at least one income bracket post the surgery.

While the demand for cataract surgeries in India is large, Sankara plays its part in resolving this market failure and moving the market towards the social optimum.

My family has had an ongoing issue with excessive sweating due to our genes. The bigger problem i... more My family has had an ongoing issue with excessive sweating due to our genes. The bigger problem is that this excessive sweating causes skin rashes on the body, which leads to itching, pathogenic build up and poor levels of hygiene. One of the reasons these rashes occur is that cloth washing detergents are not always able to completely remove dry and dissolved sweat from within the clothing. This accumulates after each wash and causes irritation to the skin. It was therefore decided to understand how detergents work and how they affect the cleansing of clothes. It was also decided to investigate if another form of detergent, such as the one used for washing hands, is more effective than cloth washing detergent.

The Duckworth Lewis (D/L) System is used to reset targets in the second innings of a game of cric... more The Duckworth Lewis (D/L) System is used to reset targets in the second innings of a game of cricket should it be interrupted by rain, sandstorms, bad light or a crowd issue. Time and again, skepticism has been expressed in newspapers about the credibility of this method. As a cricket enthusiast who was curious, I decided to take this opportunity to explore the mathematics that is used in this very important system of prediction. Before getting into the details, I decided to look at the history of methods to reset targets to see how different methods of revising targets have evolved over time. This helped me understand past problems and how they were countered. Then, I explored the D/L system to understand what it was and how it is used. Knowledge about the D/L method is very limited, so I tried to grasp it with the best of my ability. I observed that one of the drawbacks of using the D/L method was that the quality of batsmen and bowlers was not accounted for. To tackle this assumption and improve the prediction mechanism of the D/L method, I decided to create my own variable and include it in the D/L method. This is my proposal for an improvement to the current prediction method.

This essay investigates Sankara Eye Foundation’s ability as a private healthcare firm in providin... more This essay investigates Sankara Eye Foundation’s ability as a private healthcare firm in providing cataract surgeries to a level required by the market. Therefore, the research question: To what extent does a private firm, ‘Sankara Eye Foundation’, provide high quality ‘cataract surgery’ to a socially optimum level in Bangalore, Karnataka, India? was formed.

Cataract surgery, a merit good, is discussed to show that economies of scale allows Sankara to provide free cataract surgeries. To gain stronger understanding, both primary and secondary data were collected and analyzed. An interview was conducted with Mr. Vikram Chaudhuri, the CEO of Sankara Eye Foundation, to understand how Sankara functions and attains low cost of production. 100 patients were surveyed at a community outreach programme to understand trends in age, gender and change in income post the surgery. Data was tabulated in the form of pie charts and bar graphs. Secondary sources included various information booklets, brochures, handouts and Sankara’s website.

Results from data analysis revealed that Sankara works on an 80-20 model in which 80% patients opt for free medical services and 20% pay for their surgeries. Sankara gains significant internal economies of scale in the form of division of labor, managerial, technical, financial and marketing economies of scale, thereby correcting market failure to an extent as cataract surgeries are underprovided by the market. Sankara funds free surgeries with the money from paid surgeries as its cost of providing cataract surgeries decreases. Data also suggests that most patients feel independent, increasingly contribute to the economy, reduce the dependency on other patients and citizens, and move up at least one income bracket post the surgery.

While the demand for cataract surgeries in India is large, Sankara plays its part in resolving this market failure and moving the market towards the social optimum.