A collection of essays which bring together three basic aspects of research into nonlinear dynamics and economics. The first papers deal with the theoretical methods used in analyzing chaotic dynamics and the statistical tools to detect the presence of non-linearities in economic data. The following articles discuss the models which are currently being used to stimulate nonlinear economic phenomena. The final papers apply these methods to a number of economic time series.

A leading pioneer in the field offers practical applications of this innovative science. Peters describes complex concepts in an easy-to-follow manner for the non-mathematician. He uses fractals, rescaled range analysis and nonlinear dynamical models to explain behavior and understand price movements. These are specific tools employed by chaos scientists to map and measure physical and now, economic phenomena.

From Catastrophe to Chaos: A General Theory of Economic Discontinuities presents and unusual perspective on economics and economic analysis. Current economic theory largely depends upon assuming that the world is fundamentally continuous. However, an increasing amount of economic research has been done using approaches that allow for discontinuities such as catastrophe theory, chaos theory, synergetics, and fractal geometry. The spread of such approaches across a variety of disciplines of thought has constituted a virtual intellectual revolution in recent years. This book reviews the applications of these approaches in various subdisciplines of economics and draws upon past economic thinkers to develop an integrated view of economics as a whole from the perspective of inherent discontinuity.

Chaos Theory in the Social Sciences: Foundations and Applications offers the most recent thinking in applying the chaos paradigm to the social sciences. The book explores the methodological techniques--and their difficulties--for determining whether chaotic processes may in fact exist in a particular instance and examines implications of chaos theory when applied specifically to political science, economics, and sociology. The contributors to the book show that no single technique can be used to diagnose and describe all chaotic processes and identify the strengths and limitations of a variety of approaches. The essays in this volume consider the application of chaos theory to such diverse phenomena as public opinion, the behavior of states in the international arena, the development of rational economic expectations, and long waves. Contributors include Brian J. L. Berry, Thad Brown, Kenyon B. DeGreene, Dimitrios Dendrinos, Euel Elliott, David Harvey, L. Ted Jaditz, Douglas Kiel, Heja Kim, Michael McBurnett, Michael Reed, Diana Richards, J. Barkley Rosser, Jr., and Alvin M. Saperstein. L. Douglas Kiel and Euel W. Elliott are both Associate Professors of Government, Politics, and Political Economy, University of Texas at Dallas.

Brock, Hsieh, and LeBaron show how the principles of chaos theory can be applied to such areas of economics and finance as the changing structure of stock returns and nonlinearity in foreign exchange.

Finally, a book that not only explains the relationship between investing and chaos theory--the cutting-edge dicipline that Business Week says will "revitalize the money-management industry"--but also shows readers how to use the theory to master the financial markets. Illustrated.

The new science of chaos was discovered in the analysis of weather. According to the author, economics is equally unpredictable. This book explores the way in which chaos may be used for economic analysis. The author applies the new insights of chaotic dynamics to economics. Given the unpredictable behaviour of economies, this new discipline promises much enlightenment. It has always been assumed that the highly irregular behaviour of economic time series was the consequence of extra-economic disturbances such as political decisions, trade unions, the weather, and foreign trade. Now it has become clear that there can be patterns which explain this confusing behaviour. - ;Capitalism as creative, chaotic evolution by structural change; Classical dynamics: the corn economy; The von Neumann model as a chaotic attractor; Growing in short and long waves; The structural and dynamical instability of the modern economy; An analysis of high and low growth rates; Irregular waves of growth from structural innovation; Dynamical control of economic waves by fiscal policy; A fresh look at traditional cycle models; Chaotic aperiodic behaviour from forced oscillators; Further reading; Index -