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Advanced Political Economy

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Title: Advanced Political Economy


1
Advanced Political Economy
  • New trends in Political Economy Econophysics

2
Why econophysics?
  • MANY reasons but
  • Two stand out
  • Because weve solved all the big problems in
    physics
  • Remark by physicist Cheng Zhang at 1st
    Econophysics Conference, Bali 2002, in response
    to question from economist Paul Ormerod
  • Because one dominant concept in modern physics is
    highly applicable to finance uncertainty
  • Pre-Einsteinian physics based on uniformity
    certainty
  • Newtonian Laws of Motion circa 1700s
  • Supplemented by Maxwells equations for
    electromagnetic phenomena circa 1800s
  • La Places conceit Give me the equations for
    the universe I can predict not just the future
    but also the past

3
A Quick Physics Primer
  • By late 19th century, just two anomalies
  • Speed of light
  • Light seen as wave
  • Waves presumed to move through medium
  • E.g., sound waves are cyclic compression/expansion
    of air molecules
  • Light thought to move through aether
  • Unobserved substance thought to permeate all
    space
  • Aether fixed, universe moves with respect to it
  • IF aether exists Earth moving through it, THEN
    speed of light in one direction (forward into
    aether) should be slower than other (backwards
    with aether)
  • Michelson-Morley experiment speed of light
    constant in all directions

4
A Quick Physics Primer
  • Black body radiation problem
  • Atom known to exist
  • Model of atom was positive nucleus orbited by
    negative electrons
  • By Maxwells Newton equations, orbiting charge
    should radiate energy
  • Electron should rapidly spiral into nucleus
  • Black bodies (i.e. any object, not just heated
    ones) should radiate energy
  • Fitted to experimental data, model predicted
    EITHER infinite energy at low frequency OR
    infinite energy at high energy
  • Actual energy profile was a hump
  • Theory could fit one side or other but not both

5
A Quick Physics Primer
  • Einstein/Planck solutions to dual problems
  • light comes in small discrete packets called
    quanta
  • Energy not continuous but discrete with minimum
    unit Plancks constant
  • Probability uncertainty became essential
    aspects of physics
  • Physics also accepted Boltzmanns Laws after
    strong 19th century resistance
  • Progression of energy from highly ordered to
    disordered state increase in entropy
  • All work involves generation of wasted energy
    work (desired) necessitates heat undesired but
    unavoidable)
  • Combination of ideas develops measure of
    knowledge called Shannons entropy

6
A Quick Physics Primer
  • Later refinements of Einstein-Planck physics
  • Deterministic general theory of relativity
  • Highly successful model of universe on large
    scale
  • Speed of light, relativistic mass effects,
    gravity bending of light
  • Probabilistic quantum theory of matter
  • Bizarre experimental outcomes
  • Double slit experiment
  • Photons etc. interfere with each other even
    when emitted singly
  • Dominant Copenhagen interpretationobserver
    affects outcomebut many others
  • Essential some form of uncertain simultaneity
    between quantum-entangled particles
  • Theorems/measurement derived from huge
    experimental base

7
A Quick Physics Primer
  • Experiments involve massive particle
    accelerators
  • Electro-magnetic cylinders pushing particles in
    near vacuum to near light speed
  • Into collision with other particles
  • Massive sprays of fundamental particles
    (leptons, muons, bosons, quarks) analysed by
    sensitive detectors
  • Heavy-duty statistical apparatus developed to
    cope with data (computer hardware software,
    mathematical theorems)
  • Many other areas of analysis opened up with
    computing (e.g., Josephson junction circuitry,
    quantum tunnelling circuitry, quantum
    computing) but no breakthroughs
  • Physicists also develop complexity theory as
    explanation for large-scale phenomena (many
    standard deviations events) regularly seen in
    physical data (weather, earthquakes)

8
A Quick Physics Primer
  • Todays unresolved boundaries
  • Conflict between relativity quantum mechanics
    on scale of very small very new
  • First microseconds of universe
  • Behavior of matter at black holes, etc.
  • Main theoretical development string theory
  • Matter as multi-dimensional vibrating strings
  • Standard models universe 10-11 dimensional
  • Only 4 dimensions (space time) visible to us
  • Tiny fraction of physicists now working on this
    at highly abstract level (but still with
    experimental-theoretical interplay
  • Experiments needed for string theory
    controversies prohibitively expensive

9
Enter econophysics
  • Some physicists (e.g., Cheng Zhang, Joe McCauley,
    Tsallis) had innate curiousity about economics
    social phenomena
  • Large numbers physics graduate students with
    little possibility of experimental
    apprenticeship
  • Huge body of pure financial data available for
    experimental analysis
  • Clear (and, to physicists, strange but not
    unfamiliar) signs of discord in
    economic/financial theory
  • Planck on acceptance of his ideas in physics An
    important scientific innovation rarely makes its
    way by gradually winning over and converting its
    opponents it rarely happens that Saul becomes
    Paul. What does happen is that its opponents
    gradually die out, and that the growing
    generation is familiarised with the ideas from
    the beginning. (M. Planck, in G. Holton (Ed.),
    Thematic Origins of Scientific Thought, Harvard
    University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1973 in
    Scientific Autobiography, New York Philosophical
    Library, New York, 1949.)

10
Enter econophysics
  • A research paradigm develops
  • Why not apply tools of theoretical physics to
    large body of financial data see what we find?
  • Large number of regularities seen by physicists
    with respect to advanced physics that, from
    neoclassical economics point of view, were
    anomalies
  • Distributions of financial data follow Power /
    Zipf / Pareto Distributions
  • Standard characteristic of highly interacting
    nonlinear nonequilibrium processes
  • Versus neoclassical belief data should follow
    innately random distributions since markets
    assumed to be rational, rational defined as
    all knowing, system assumed stable
  • Huge baggage of a priori assumptions at conflict
    with data

11
Enter econophysics
  • Main areas of research
  • Statistical patterns in finance
  • Also income distribution, firm sizes, extinction
    patterns
  • Initially chaos (Mandlebrot etc.) but
    subsequently Power Laws, Zipf Laws, Pareto,
    Exponential, Levy Gamma distributions now
    Tsalliss q nonextensive statistical
    mechanics
  • Parsimonious models of financial market
    behaviour
  • El Farol model Minority Game
  • Little work to date in alternative economic
    foundations
  • May come with time, and will probably be
    radically different to either neoclassical or
    classical foundations

12
Statistical Patterns
  • Perspective of econophysicists very different to
    neoclassical economists (and other victims of
    equilibrium thinking)
  • Statistical physicists, myself included, are
    extremely interested in fluctuations. In the
    field of economics, we find ourselves surrounded
    by fluctuationswere it not for economic
    fluctuations, economists would have no work to
    do. Gene Stanley, (editor Physica A journal of
    inter-disciplinary physics) 2000, Exotic
    statistical physics Applications to biology,
    medicine, and economics, Physica A 285 1-17.
  • Versus mechanisms that achieve equilibrium
    focus of standard economic paradigm

13
Statistical Patterns
  • What do we do when we carry out research on
    economic fluctuations? Our approach has been to
    use our experience in critical phenomena research
    and assume that when we see fluctuations,
    correlations may be present. (10)
  • A search for feedback effects between data rather
    than assumption of independence
  • Main finding events that are rare by 8 orders
    of magnitudeevents that occur once in every 100
    million tradesfall on the same curve as everyday
    events. (12)
  • Subsumes results with all distribution types
  • Inspiration for main theoretical development
    nonextensive statistical mechanics
  • Commenced with Mandlebrots work on fractals in
    1960s

14
Mandelbrot, fractals, chaos
  • Mandelbrot began research in economics into
    income distribution
  • Vilfredo Pareto in late 1800s noticed Power Law
    in income distribution
  • Number of people N earning more than x follows
    formula
  • log N log A m log x (A, m constants)
  • In 1961 by chance saw graph of cotton prices that
    mirrored data on income distribution
  • Noticed scale invariance as a feature of
    economic data argued fundamental feature of
    financial data
  • BUT ignored in favour of The New Finance of
    Sharpe CAPM!
  • Shifted into geography geometry now insights
    re-emerging as foundation of new approach to
    finance

15
Power (and other) Laws
  • Power Laws, Zipf Laws, Pareto Laws all relate to
    distributions in which elements in the system
    affect each other very strongly and nonlinearly
  • Resulting patterns appear random but are not
  • Compared to truly random data, have many more
    extreme events
  • But random processes can be generated by strongly
    chaotic processes!
  • Difference appears to lie in mixing random
    processes achieve strong mixing of elements
    chaotic processes lead to patterns of
    self-similarity, not uniformity
  • Area still very speculative but clearly on track
    to much more successful theory of finance than
    CAPM

16
Non-extensive statistical mechanics
  • The basics Entropy
  • Boltzmann-Gibbs statistical mechanics
  • Shannon information theory
  • Advanced non-extensive statistical mechanics
  • After the hairy stuff, a quick survey of major
    trends in econophysics

17
Entropy
Warning!
Warning!
  • Entropy is

Mind-bending material approaching!
  • Best introduced by jokes
  • The 3 laws of thermodynamics are
  • 1. You can't win.
  • 2. You can't even break even.
  • 3. You can't get out of the game.
  • A more informative version
  • 1. You can't win, you can only break even.
  • 2. You can only break even at absolute zero.
  • 3. You can never reach absolute zero.

18
Entropy the 2nd law
  • Starting at the beginning
  • Key concept in science in general is conservation
    law some key entity is conserved through a
    series of transformations
  • In physics, its energy
  • 1st law is Law of Conservation of Energy
    Energy can change form but cannot be created or
    destroyed
  • Hence You cant win
  • Not a priori belief (like economics law of one
    price or other empirically false propositions)
    but expression of observed regularity
  • Form of energy can change but amount of energy in
    a system remains constant
  • Define overall energy as U and two
    transformations of it as Q (heat) W (work)

19
Entropy
  • Then DUQW0
  • Rule first developed in experiments with steam
    engines where focus was on inputting heat
    (burning coal) and getting out work (turning a
    shaft), so expressed as
  • DUQ-W
  • Just a convention reflecting heat in, work out
  • Objective of engineers was to achieve maximum
    conversion of heat (Q) into work (W), but found
    waste heat always generated.
  • Puzzle became why?
  • Solved by imagining ideal device that converted
    all energy of system U into work W and then
    extending analysis to non-ideal systems (compare
    this to economics)

20
Entropy
  • Basic model piston moving weight
  • If weight removed from piston, then gas would
    move piston to new location where pressure in gas
    balanced weight of piston

Weightat height H
CylinderVolume V
  • What if weight consisted of many fine grains of
    sand one was removed at a time?
  • How far could piston itself raise the sand?
  • How much work could the piston do on the sand?

PistonArea A
GasPressure P
21
Entropy
  • Upwards force from compressed gas equals Pressure
    P times area of piston A
  • At start of process, weight stationary gas at
    pressure P
  • Forces must then be in balance
  • Force of gas (P.A) just equals downwards force of
    gravity on weight
  • If weight moves small dh distance then change in
    volume dV equals A times dh
  • Work done is integral of force over distance it
    operates

where
so that
22
Entropy
  • In ideal cylinder (all energy converted into
    work), work equals integral of pressure with
    respect to volume
  • In 0 efficiency cylinder (all energy converted
    into heat), heat equals integral of temperature
    with respect to something well label S for
    now.
  • In between, the rule applies that
  • Change in energy equals heat plus work becomes
  • Change in energy Temperature times change in
    Entropy Pressure times change in Volume
  • (change in volume is workuseful expenditure of
    energy)
  • So how efficient can a working engine be?

23
Entropy
  • Basic cycle of internal combustion engine is
  • Piston at top of cylinder pressure temperature
    low
  • Call Volume V1, Pressure P1, Temperature T1
  • Piston pushed by crankshaft pressure increased
  • Temperature necessarily rises
  • Volume V2, Pressure P2, Temperature T2
  • Gas ignited
  • Temperature rises dramatically
  • Volume V3V2, Pressure P3P2, Temperature T3
  • Piston pushed back to starting position
  • Temperature falls, volume rises, pressure drops
  • Volume V4V1, Pressure P4, Temperature T4
  • Hot gases expelled
  • Return to V1, P1, T1

24
Entropy
  • Perfect efficiency engine now assumed no
    friction losses etc., all processes involve only
    changes in pressure or temperature, not both at
    once
  • Change in energy of perfect gas given by heat
    capacity times change in temperature e.g. heat
    capacity 5 units
  • Example temperatures of
  • T1300K (Kelvin or temperature above absolute
    zero)
  • T2400
  • T31600
  • T4600
  • Can now apply
  • where at each stage either dS0 or dV0 (perfect
    efficiency)

25
Entropy
  • Stage 1 all compression, dS0. So
  • (work in so negative work output)
  • Stage 2 all temperature change, dV0. So
  • Stage 3 all expansion, dS0. So
  • Stage 4 all temperature change, dV0. So
  • Work sum is -50050004500
  • Energy input is 6000
  • Ratio is efficiency of perfect engine
    4500/600075

26
Entropy
  • Actual engine has lower efficiency
  • Conversion of some compression into temperature,
    some rise in temperature into rise in volume
  • As well as the usual suspects friction, etc.
  • Typically achieve only half ideal ratio.
  • Whats the problem?
  • Truly ideal engine design reveals part of cause
  • Carnot (1824) imagined perfect heat-exchange
    engine
  • Found engine had to discharge heat to perform
    work
  • Efficiency function of discharge temperature
    level
  • Only if discharge temperature was absolute zero
    could engine be 100 efficient

27
Entropy Carnot engine
  • During initial expansion phase, gas in cylinder
    kept at constant temperature TH heat QH must be
    added
  • During work expansion phase, temperature drops
    because volume expands W extracted
  • During initial contraction phase, gas in cylinder
    kept at constant temperature TC heat QC must be
    extracted
  • During final contraction phase, temperature rises
    because volume contracts

28
Entropy Carnot engine
  • Since engine repeats cycle, energy change over
    whole cycle zero so Work extracted must equal
    sum of heat input extraction
  • Engine efficiency is ratio of work output to
    energy input
  • There is a simple relationship between Q and T
  • So energy efficiency can only be 100 of TC0
    Kelvin
  • Also explains why high temperature engines are
    more efficient

29
Entropy
  • So something in nature means that no work
    process can occur without generating waste heat.
  • That something is 2nd law of thermodynamics
    entropy increases where entropy is the S in
  • General statement For any process by which a
    thermodynamic system is in interaction with the
    environment, the total change of entropy of
    system and environment can almost never be
    negative. If only reversible processes occur, the
    total change of entropy is zero if irreversible
    processes occur as well, then it is positive.
  • S taken as measure of disorder of system since
    related by Boltzmann Gibbs to the number of
    distinguishable states W that a system can be in
    by

30
Entropy
  • Boltzmanns formula linked to structure of matter
    by concept of microstates
  • Overall state (temperature, pressure, etc) of
    given system reflects ensemble of states of
    constituents (atoms, molecules, etc.)
  • State of constituents reflects
  • How many ways constituents can be organised
  • Number of constituents having each possible state
  • E.g., consider placing colour squares on 4x4 grid
  • Say 1st square is red can be placed in any of 16
    locations

1
  • Next e.g. blue placed in any of 15
  • 16!20,920,000,000,000,000 possible combinations!

31
Entropy
  • But say there is 1 red, 3 green, 5 blue, 7 orange
    squares in ensemble. Then
  • are different combinations but cant be
    distinguished from each other

and
  • Ditto for other arrangements of other colours
    (numbers there just to show difference)
  • To compensate, have to divide 16! by product of
    all possible ways of achieving identical
    microstates
  • Divide by 1! x 3! x 5! x 7!3,628,800, leaving
    5,765,760 distinct arrangements
  • General formula is

32
Entropy
  • Can also be put as
  • Where W is number of discrete microstates system
    can be in and pi is probability of the ith such
    state
  • Entropy as defined here applies to ergodic
    systems
  • dynamics whose time averages coincide with
    ensemble averages (Tsallis et al. 2003,
    Nonextensive statistical mechanics and
    economics, Physica A 324 89-100)
  • Colloquially, systems that converge to or orbit
    long run equilibrium values that over time fill
    the entire phase space

33
Entropy
  • Consider our 4x4 grid
  • Imagine these represent entities in a dynamic
    system
  • E.g., gas molecules in a tiny container
  • Odds of squares being in highly ordered initial
    state (all similar colours next to each other)
    very low
  • Many more ways for squares to be in more
    disordered arrangement than one where all
    colours are mixed up
  • Over time, each square will spend 1/16th of its
    time in each of 16 possible positions (time
    averages coincide with ensemble averages)
  • But far from all (physical or social) systems
    have this characteristic

34
Entropy
  • For example, Lorenzs model
  • Complex dynamics means time average very
    different to average over phase space because
    system never goes near equilibria

35
Entropy
  • Problem of failure of deep, established concept
    like Boltzmann-Gibbs entropy to characterise many
    real world systems troubled physicists,
    statisticians
  • Ironically, CAPM analysis of derivatives
    (Black-Scholes) related to this area
  • Many alternative characterisations proposed
  • Power Laws
  • Hurst exponents
  • Best to date is revised version of
    Boltzmann-Gibbs entropy suggested by Tsallis in
    1985
  • Sheer intuitionnot derived but guessed at.
  • Interesting example of how scientific advance can
    occur. In his words

36
Nonextensive Statistical Mechanics
  • A MexicanFrenchBrazilian workshop entitled
    First Workshop in Statistical Mechanics was
    held in Mexico City, during 213 September 1985
    That was the time of fashionable multifractals
    and related matters. During one of the coffee
    breaks, everybody went out from the lecture room,
    excepting Brezin, a Mexican student , and
    myself Brezin was explaining something to the
    student. At a certain moment, he addressed some
    point presumably related to multifractalsfrom my
    seat I could not hear their conversation, but I
    could see the equations Brezin was writing. He
    was using pq, and it suddenly came to my
    mindlike a flash and without further
    intentionthat, with powers of probabilities, one
    could generalize standard statistical mechanics,
    by generalizing the BG entropy itself and then
    following Gibbs path. Back to Rio de Janeiro, I
    wrote on a single shot the expression for the
    generalized entropy, namely

Tsallis 2004 727
37
Nonextensive Statistical Mechanics
  • Why does it matter?
  • q 1 returns standard distributions
  • q gt 1 privileges common events
  • Common (near mean events) occur more frequently
    than for Gaussian/standard entropy distributions
    and
  • rare events will lead to large fluctuations,
    whereas more common events will result in more
    moderate fluctuations.
  • A concrete consequence of this is that the BG
    formalism yields exponential equilibrium
    distributions (and time behavior of typical
    relaxation functions), whereas nonextensive
    statistics yields (asymptotic) power-law
    distributions (Tsallis et al. 2003 91)
  • Tsalliss q may capture interactive instability
    of finance markets. Tsallis distributions fit
    finance data accurately with q1.4

38
Nonextensive Statistical Mechanics
  • E.g., Stock market returns for top ten stocks on
    NYSE

Dotted line is the Gaussian distribution 2-
and 3-min curves are moved vertically for display
purposes Far better fit to data than CAPM
models
  • Many other areas where Tsalliss q enables
    accurate fit to data whereas standard extensive
    statistics models (Black-Scholes, CAPM, EMH etc.)
    do not

39
Econophysics
  • Tsalliss analysis may become foundation of all
    other statistical analysis by econophysicists
  • In meantime, many other areas where skills
    technologies of physicists are being applied.
    E.g.
  • Sornettes analysis of asset bubbles and bursts
  • Minority Game parsimonious model of finance
    markets
  • Scarfettas analysis of income distribution
  • Ponzis model of multi-sectoral dynamics
  • Many others can be found at
  • http//www.unifr.ch/econophysics/

40
Why Stock Markets Crash
  • Sornette geophysicist
  • Study of earths dynamics
  • Developed theory of earthquakes as extension of
    Per Baks theory of self-organised criticality
  • Classic model the sand pile
  • Pour sand onto surface one grain at a time
  • For a while, pyramidal shape forms
  • Slope of pyramid gets steeper
  • Slope then collapses in avalanche
  • One grain of sand causes more than one to fall in
    a chain reaction
  • Collapse of pyramid reduces slope below critical
    level
  • Pyramid reforms process repeats

41
Why Stock Markets Crash
  • Sornettes earthquake model similar with tectonic
    plates as the grains of sand, motion of earths
    core as pouring force
  • Movement of molten core causes plates to move on
    surface
  • Increasing tension between plates causing
    vibrations that increased over time
  • Release in large scale earthquake
  • Decreasing tension between plates over time
    process repeats
  • Pattern captured by log periodic function
  • Applied to stock market where collective
    interactions between agents leading to a cascade
    of amplifications replace movement of plates

42
Why Stock Markets Crash
  • Basic function for change of index is of the form
  • Predicts increasing frequency of fluctuations as
    critical time approaches
  • Problem is to identify critical time!

43
Why Stock Markets Crash
  • On other side of crash, critical time known
  • Curiosity now is does crash fit log-periodic
    form?
  • Graph fits US SP500 to function
  • Problems develop when extended further in time
  • Tectonic plate dynamics dont change on human
    time scale finance markets economies do
  • But clear relevance of log periodic form to
    short-term market movements before/after crash

44
The Minority Game
  • Minority Game development begun by economist
    Brian Arthur
  • Model was El Farol Irish (yes, Irish!) pub in
    Santa Fe
  • Popular after-hours venue but only pleasant when
    neither empty nor full
  • Problem how to predict whether worth attending a
    given night?
  • Arthurs model 100 Irish music fans in Santa Fe
    bar only enjoyable when less than 40 attend a
    night
  • Fans decide whether or not to attend based on
    various strategies
  • A minority game you win by being in the
    minority
  • Therefore no equilibrium any winning strategy
    will break down as other agents adopt it

45
The Minority Game
  • Extended by Yi-Cheng Zhang others to Minority
    Game
  • Artificial stock market in which winning strategy
    is to sell when majority is buying, buy when
    majority selling
  • Realisation that MG isnt a complete model
  • In financial trading, often it is convenient to
    join the majority trend, not to fight against the
    trend. During the Internet stock follies, it was
    possible to reap considerable profits by going
    along with the explosive boom, provided one got
    off the trend in time. There are many other
    situations where success is associated with
    conforming with the majority.
  • But proposition that might still be on the
    money because

46
The Minority Game
  • majority situations may actually have minority
    elements embedded in them. The real financial
    trading probably requires a mixed
    minority-majority strategy, in which timing is
    essential. The minority situations seem to
    prevail in the long run because speculators
    cannot all be winners. Indeed no boom is without
    end, being different from the crowd at the right
    time is the key to success. In a booming trend,
    it is the minority of those who get off first who
    win, the others lose. (Damien Challet, Matteo
    Marsili, Yi-cheng Zhang 2003, Minority Games,
    Oxford University Press, Oxford, 12-13)

47
A two-part income distribution model
  • Basic Econophysics model a Power Law
  • Implies increasing concentration all the way up
  • Actual empirics of US data suggested a tail (low
    income) that didnt fit Power Law
  • An empirical distribution of wealth shows an
    abrupt change between the lowmedium range, that
    may be fitted by a non-monotonic function with an
    exponential-like tail such as a gamma
    distribution, and the high wealth range, that is
    well fitted by a Pareto or inverse power-law
    function. (Nicola Scafetta, Sergio Picozzi and
    Bruce J West, 2004, An out-of-equilibrium model
    of the distributions of wealth, Quantitative
    Finance 4 353)

48
A two-part income distribution model
  • Scarfetta et al suggest
  • Top end (rich) due to investment
  • Power Law wealth distribution generates matching
    income one
  • Bottom end (poor) due to trade which is biased in
    favour of poor
  • Hard to explain from neoclassical foundation
  • Neoclassic economists do not expect trade to
    involve a transfer of wealth, but rather an
    increase in utility for both parties with a zero
    net transfer of wealth.

49
A two-part income distribution model
  • Scarfetta et al. propose
  • in trades there may be a transfer of wealth from
    one agent to the other because the price paid
    fluctuates around an equilibrium price ( value)
    and, therefore, the price may differ from the
    value of the commodity transferred
  • (b) in a trade transaction the amount of wealth
    that may move from one agent to the other is
    bounded because the price and the value of a
    commodity cannot (usually) exceed the wealth of
    the poorer of the two traders
  • (c) the price is socially determined in such a
    way that the trade is statistically biased in
    favour of the poorer trader.

50
A two-part income distribution model
  • In fact results validate my interpretation of
    Marx on value
  • Marx spoke of the relationship between the wage
    and the value of labour-power, he used the term
    minimum wage, that is, a subsistence payment
    1315, thus emphasizing that in practice he
    expected the wage to exceed this minimum and
    hence there to be a price-value divergence in
    favour of the working class at the expense of
    capitalists. These effects can be incorporated
    into the social equality index f of equation (14)
    that measures the statistical bias of the trade
    in favour of the poor.

51
Multi-sectoral instability
  • Physicists perception of economic cycles
  • Economic dynamics is easily observed to be far
    from equilibrium where periodic recessions,
    unemployment and unstable prices occur
    persistently. An understanding of the origins of
    this behaviour from the viewpoint of complex
    dynamical systems theory would be very valuable.
    (Adam Ponzi, Ayumu Yasutomi, and Kunihiko Kaneko
    2003, Multiple Timescale Dynamics in Economic
    Production Networks, APS/123-QED
  • Starting point is standard von Neumann
    equilibrium growth path

52
Multi-sectoral instability
  • The VNM is defined as a static equilibrium model
    describing relationships between the variables
    which must hold at equilibrium. Equilibrium is a
    state of balanced growth where prices are
    constant. There are no dynamics defined by the
    model which might describe out of equilibrium or
    approach to equilibrium behaviour. (1)
  • However it is rarely the case that economic
    processes are in equilibrium
  • Their approach actual output depends on the
    quantity of the minimum of its input supplies and
    not on the quantities of its other supplies. (1)

53
Multi-sectoral instability
  • Basic picture of economy reflects physics
    backgroundprocesses described as catalytic
    play important role
  • A production process is the operation which
    converts one bundle of goods, including capital
    equipment, into another bundle of goods,
    including the capital equipment.
  • Capital goods therefore function approximately
    like catalysts in chemical reactions, reformed at
    the end of the reaction in amounts conserved in
    the reaction. (1)

54
Multi-sectoral instability
  • Model implemented as computer simulation and
    generates obvious cycles in output, prices, etc.
  • Not necessarily correct model of market economy
  • Constraint normally effective demand, not supply
    (stocks provide buffer)
  • But useful example of dynamic multisectoral
    modelling

55
Conclusion?
  • Econophysics still in infancy, but
  • Unencumbered by equilibrium obsession
  • Equipped with advanced mathematical computing
    data analysis tools designed to cope with
    uncertainty nonlinearity
  • For first time ever, a coherent group of rivals
    to neoclassicism who totally outgun it in
    technical terms
  • At time of great weakness of neoclassical
    paradigm in finance
  • Best chance yet for break in neoclassical
    hegemony
  • However, some problems

56
Worrying Trends in Econophysics
  • Paper in Physica A by Mauro Gallegati, Steve
    Keen, Thomas Lux, Paul Ormerod
  • First, a lack of awareness of work that has been
    done within economics itself.
  • Second, resistance to more rigorous and robust
    statistical methodology.
  • Third, the belief that universal empirical
    regularities can be found in many areas of
    economic activity.
  • Fourth, the theoretical models which are being
    used to explain empirical phenomena.
  • My beef use of conservation laws where they
    dont apply
  • Energy is conserved nothing in economics (like
    utility, income, etc.) is conserved

57
Spurious conservation
  • The criticism by some economists that the model
    is not valid because money is conserved and other
    levels of money such as credit are not accounted
    for seems to these authors to be ill founded. It
    is certainly possible to develop any model to
    include, for example, debt. This could be simply
    a matter of allowing the money held by an
    individual to take negative values...20, p. 145
  • No it cantremember Circuit model
  • Money not conserved but endogenously created
  • Debt not simply negative money

58
Conclusion
  • But overall, empirical focus of econophysicists
    vital
  • No ideological commitment to spurious analysis
  • Ultimate desire to model the data, not turn
    the model into the data
  • There may yet be an empirical economics
  • BUT
  • The math (and the computing) will be a bugger!
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