Computing Equilibria and Fixed Points is devoted to the computation of equilibria, fixed points and stationary points. This volume is written with three goals in mind: (i) To give a comprehensive introduction to fixed point methods and to the definition and construction of Gröbner bases; (ii) To discuss several interesting applications of these methods in the fields of general equilibrium theory, game theory, mathematical programming, algebra and symbolic computation; (iii) To introduce several advanced fixed point and stationary point theorems. These methods and topics should be of interest not only to economists and game theorists concerned with the computation and existence of equilibrium outcomes in economic models and cooperative and non-cooperative games, but also to applied mathematicians, computer scientists and engineers dealing with models of highly nonlinear systems of equations (or polynomial equations).

The concept of general equilibrium, one of the central components of economic theory, explains the behavior of supply, demand, and prices by showing that supply and demand exist in balance through pricing mechanisms. The mathematical tools and properties for this theory have developed over time to accommodate and incorporate developments in economic theory, from multiple markets and economic agents to theories of production. Yves Balasko offers an extensive, up-to-date look at the standard theory of general equilibrium, to which he has been a major contributor. This book explains how the equilibrium manifold approach can be usefully applied to the general equilibrium model, from basic consumer theory and exchange economies to models with private ownership of production. Balasko examines properties of the standard general equilibrium model that are beyond traditional existence and optimality. He applies the theory of smooth manifolds and mappings to the multiplicity of equilibrium solutions and related discontinuities of market prices. The economic concepts and differential topology methods presented in this book are accessible, clear, and relevant, and no prior knowledge of economic theory is necessary. General Equilibrium Theory of Value offers a comprehensive foundation for the most current models of economic theory and is ideally suited for graduate economics students, advanced undergraduates in mathematics, and researchers in the field.

Since the publication of the first edition of Network Economics: A Variational Inequality Approach in 1993, there have been many ad vances in both methodological developments, as well as, applications in this field. These have occurred in an environment of an increasingly networked global economy, in which the importance of transportation networks and communication networks is now well-recognized, with net works such as knowledge networks, environmental networks, and finan cial networks receiving growing attention. This edition adds recent research progress in new and evolving ar eas of network economics through common and unifying principles. In addition, it includes dynamic models of traffic, of spatially separated markets, of oligopolistic markets, and of financial markets. In order to expand the range and reach of this material, we have also included a series of problems in an appendix for self-study purposes and for use in the classroom. We note that computational economics has been at the forefront in stimulating the development of mathematical methodologies for the analysis and solution of complex, large-scale problems. The past fifteen years, in particular, have witnessed a dramatic growth of interest in this area. Supported by the increasing availability of data and by advances in computer architectures, the scale and dimensions of problems that can now be handled are unveiling new horizons in both theoretical modeling and policy analysis.

An introduction to the economic equilibrium model is given and it is demonstrated that a path method can be used to compute equilibria for pure exchange economies in a nonlinear setting. Next, a model is described for an economy in which the utility functions are piecewise linear and the consumption and production sets are polyhedral. It is shown that an equilibrium for this economy is the solution to a system of bilinear equations subject to certain linear inequality and complementarity constraints. Two approaches are discussed for computing equilibria for such economies. The first is the bilinear complementarity algorithm (BCA) and the second is the homotopy retraction algorithm (HRA). Convergence proofs are given for both methods using the general theory for path methods described above. No conclusion could be drawn as to which algorithm was superior, but both performed well enough that it appears that much larger equilibrium problems also can be solved efficiently by these methods.

The second edition of a rigorous and example-driven introduction to topics in economic dynamics that emphasizes techniques for modeling dynamic systems. This text provides an introduction to the modern theory of economic dynamics, with emphasis on mathematical and computational techniques for modeling dynamic systems. Written to be both rigorous and engaging, the book shows how sound understanding of the underlying theory leads to effective algorithms for solving real-world problems. The material makes extensive use of programming examples to illustrate ideas, bringing to life the abstract concepts in the text. Key topics include algorithms and scientific computing, simulation, Markov models, and dynamic programming. Part I introduces fundamentals and part II covers more advanced material. This second edition has been thoroughly updated, drawing on recent research in the field. New for the second edition: “Programming-language agnostic” presentation using pseudocode. New chapter 1 covering conceptual issues concerning Markov chains such as ergodicity and stability. New focus in chapter 2 on algorithms and techniques for program design and high-performance computing. New focus on household problems rather than optimal growth in material on dynamic programming. Solutions to many exercises, code, and other resources available on a supplementary website.