Skip to main content
Log in

Decentralized evolutionary mechanisms for intertemporal economies: A possibility result

  • Articles
  • Published:
Journal of Economics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We consider a stationary, infinite horizon aggregative model with one consumer and one producer living in each period. A decentralized intertemporal mechanism, satisfying the following “evolutionary” property, is constructed: if the current period's producer and consumer verify their equilibrium conditions, then the allocation is actually executed, without further verification by future agents. The mechanism is based on the idea of continual planning revision. It is shown that the outcome is an intertemporally efficient allocation which maximizes the long run average of one period utilities from consumption.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arrow, K. J., and Hahn, F. (1971):General Competitive Analysis. San Francisco: Holden-Day.

    Google Scholar 

  • Atsumi, H. (1965): “Neoclassical Growth and Efficient Program of Capital Accumulation.”Review of Economic Studies 32: 127–136.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhattacharya, R. N., and Majumdar, M. (1989): “Controlled Semi-Markov Models under Long-Run Average Rewards.”Journal of Statistical Planing and Inference 22: 223–242.

    Google Scholar 

  • Birkhoff, G., and MacLane, S. (1977):A Survey of Modern Algebra. New York: Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blackwell, D. (1962): “Discrete Dynamic Programming.”Annals of Mathematical Statistics 33: 719–726.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brock, W. A. (1971): “Sensitivity of Optimal Growth Paths with Respect to a Change in Target Stocks.” InContributions to the Von Neumann Growth Model, edited by G. Bruckmann and W. Weber. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brock, W. A., and Majumdar, M. (1988): “On Characterizing Optimal Competitive Programs in Terms of Decentralizable Conditions.”Journal of Economic Theory 45: 262–273.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cass, D. (1972): “On Capital Overaccumulation in the Aggregative Neo-Classical Model of Economic Growth: A Complete Characterization.”Journal of Economic Theory 4: 200–223.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dasgupta, A. (1964): “A Note on Optimum Savings.”Econometrica 32: 431–433.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dasgupta, S., and Mitra, T. (1988a): “Characterization of Intertemporal Optimality in Terms of Decentralizable Conditions: The Discounted Case.”Journal of Economic Theory 45: 247–287.

    Google Scholar 

  • —, (1988b): “Intertemporal Optimality in a Closed Linear Model of Production.”Journal of Economic Theory 45: 288–315.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dutta, P. K. (1986): “Essays in Intertemporal Allocation Theory.” Ph. D. Thesis, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dutta, P. K. (1989): “What Do Discounted Optima Converge to? A Theory of Discount Rate Asymptotics in economic Models.” Discussion Paper No. 426, Columbia University.

  • Flynn, J. (1976): “Conditions for the Equivalence of Optimality Criteria in Dynamic Programming.”Annals of Mathematical Statistics 4: 936–953.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gale, D. (1967): “On Optimal Development in a Multi-Sector Economy.”Review of Economic Studies 34: 1–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gale, D., and Sutherland, W. R. S. (1968): “Analysis of a One-Good Model of Economic Development.” InMathematics of the Decision Sciences, Part 2, edited by G. B. Dantzig and A. F. Veinott, Jr. (Lectures in Applied Mathematics 12). Providence: American Mathematical Society.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldman, S. M. (1968): “Optimal Growth and Continual Planning Revision.”Review of Economic Studies 35: 145–154.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hahn, F. (1989): “Auctioneer.” InThe New Palgrave: General Equilbrium, edited by J. Eatwell, M. Milgate and P. Newman. London: Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Howard, R. (1960):Dynamic Programming and Markov Processes. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hurwicz, L. (1986): “On Intertemporal Decentralization and Efficiency in Resource Allocation Mechanisms.”Studies in Mathematics 25: 238–350.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hurwicz, L., and Majumdar, M. (1988): “Optimal Intertemporal Allocation Mechanisms and Decentralization of Decisions.”Journal of Economic Theory 45: 228–261.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hurwicz, L., and Weinberger, H. (1990): “A Necessary Condition for Decentralization and an Application to Intertemporal Allocation.”Journal of Economic Theory 51: 313–345.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jeanjean, P. (1974): “Optimal Development Programs under Uncertainty: The Undiscounted Case.”Journal of Economic Theory 7: 66–92.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koopmans, T. C. (1957):Three Essays on the State of Economic Science. New York: McGraw Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Majumdar, M. (1988): “Decentralization in Infinite Horizon Economies: An Introduction.”Journal of Economic Theory 45: 217–227.

    Google Scholar 

  • Malinvaud, E. (1953): “Capital Accumulation and Efficient Allocation of Resources.”Econometrica 21: 233–268.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mount, K., and Reiter, S. (1974): “The Informational Size of Message Spaces.”Journal of Economic Theory 8: 161–192.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pigou, A. C. (1928):The Economics of Welfare. London: Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramsey, F. (1928): “A Mathematical Theory of Savings.”Economic Journal 38: 543–559.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rawls, J. (1971):A Theory of Justice. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Harvard.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ross, S. (1968): “Arbitrary State Markovian Decision Processes.”Annals of Mathematical Statistics 39: 2118–2122.

    Google Scholar 

  • Samuelson, P. A. (1958): “An Exact Consumption-Loan Model of Interest With or Without the Social Contrivance of Money.”Journal of Political Economy 66: 467–482.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scarf, H. (1960): “Some Examples of Global Instability of the Competitive Equilibrium.”International Economic Review 1: 157–172.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smale, S. (1989): “Global Analysis in Economic Theory.” InThe New Palgrave: General Equilibrium, edited by J. Eatwell, M. Milgate and P. Newman. London: Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Veinott Jr., A. F. (1966): “On Finding Optimal Policies in Discrete Dynamic Programming with no Discounting.”Annals of Mathematical Statistics 37: 1284–1294.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weizsäcker, C. C. von (1965): “Existence of Optimal Programs of Accumulation for an Infinite Time Horizon.”Review of Economic Studies 32: 85–104.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

We would like to thank L. Hurwicz, E. Malinvaud, and R. Radner for valuable discussions, and two referees for helpful comments. Research on this project was partially supported by a National Science Foundation Grant.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bala, V., Majumdar, M. & Mitra, T. Decentralized evolutionary mechanisms for intertemporal economies: A possibility result. Zeitschr. f. Nationalökonomie 53, 1–29 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01227013

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01227013

Keywords

Navigation