Skip to main content
Log in

On high-order differentiability of the policy function

  • Exposita Notes
  • Published:
Economic Theory Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

This note presents some results concerning high-order differentiability of the policy function. It is shown that simple examples of cubic return functions may yield optimal policies which under standard conditions are not differentiable to high order. The loss of differentiability, however, is not robust to small perturbations of the model. For instance, monotone policy functions are almost always high-order differentiable.

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

  • Araujo, A.: The once but not twice differentiability of the policy function. Econometrica59, 1383–1393 (1991)

    Google Scholar 

  • Araujo, A., Scheinkman, J. A.: Smoothness, comparative dynamics, and the turnpike property. Econometrica45, 601–620 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  • Benveniste, L. M., Scheinkman, J. A.: On the differentiability of the value function in dynamic models of economics. Econometrica47, 727–732 (1979)

    Google Scholar 

  • Boldrin, M., Woodford, M.: Equilibrium models displaying endogeneous cycles and chaos: a survey. J. Mon. Econom.205, 189–222 (1990)

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowen, R.: Equilibrium states and the ergodic theory of Anosov diffeomorphisms. Lect. Notes Math., vol 420, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York: Springer 1975

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirsch, M., Pugh, C. C., Shub, R.: Invariant manifolds. Lect. Notes Math., vol. 583. Berlin, Heidelberg, New York: Springer 1977

    Google Scholar 

  • Mañe, R.: Persistent manifolds are normally hyperbolic. Bull. Amer. Math. Soc.80, 90–91 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Santos, M. S.: Smoothness of the policy function in discrete-time economic models. Econometrica59, 1365–1382 (1991)

    Google Scholar 

  • Santos, M. S., Vila, J. L.: Smoothness of the policy function in continuous-time economic models: the one-dimensional case. J. Econ. Dynam. Control15, 741–753 (1988)

    Google Scholar 

  • Sternberg, S.: On the structure of local homeomorphisms of Euclideann-space. Amer. J. Math.59, 623–631 (1959)

    Google Scholar 

  • Stokey, N. L., Lucas, R. E., Prescott, E. C.: Recursive methods in economic dynamics. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press 1989

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Santos, M.S. On high-order differentiability of the policy function. Econ Theory 3, 565–570 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01209702

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01209702

Keywords

Navigation