Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Introduction
- 1 The coefficient of resource utilization
- 2 A social equilibrium existence theorem
- 3 A classical tax-subsidy problem
- 4 Existence of an equilibrium for a competitive economy
- 5 Valuation equilibrium and Pareto optimum
- 6 Representation of a preference ordering by a numerical function
- 7 Market equilibrium
- 8 Economics under uncertainty
- 9 Topological methods in cardinal utility theory
- 10 New concepts and techniques for equilibrium analysis
- 11 A limit theorem on the core of an economy
- 12 Continuity properties of Paretian utility
- 13 Neighboring economic agents
- 14 Economies with a finite set of equilibria
- 15 Smooth preferences
- 16 Excess demand functions
- 17 The rate of convergence of the core of an economy
- 18 Four aspects of the mathematical theory of economic equilibrium
- 19 The application to economics of differential topology and global analysis
- 20 Least concave utility functions
4 - Existence of an equilibrium for a competitive economy
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 January 2013
- Frontmatter
- Introduction
- 1 The coefficient of resource utilization
- 2 A social equilibrium existence theorem
- 3 A classical tax-subsidy problem
- 4 Existence of an equilibrium for a competitive economy
- 5 Valuation equilibrium and Pareto optimum
- 6 Representation of a preference ordering by a numerical function
- 7 Market equilibrium
- 8 Economics under uncertainty
- 9 Topological methods in cardinal utility theory
- 10 New concepts and techniques for equilibrium analysis
- 11 A limit theorem on the core of an economy
- 12 Continuity properties of Paretian utility
- 13 Neighboring economic agents
- 14 Economies with a finite set of equilibria
- 15 Smooth preferences
- 16 Excess demand functions
- 17 The rate of convergence of the core of an economy
- 18 Four aspects of the mathematical theory of economic equilibrium
- 19 The application to economics of differential topology and global analysis
- 20 Least concave utility functions
Summary
A. Wald has presented a model of production and a model of exchange and proofs of the existence of an equilibrium for each of them. Here proofs of the existence of an equilibrium are given for an integrated model of production, exchange and consumption. In addition the assumptions made on the technologies of producers and the tastes of consumers are significantly weaker than Wald's. Finally a simplification of the structure of the proofs has been made possible through use of the concept of an abstract economy, a generalization of that of a game.
Introduction
L. Walras [24] first formulated the state of the economic system at any point of time as the solution of a system of simultaneous equations representing the demand for goods by consumers, the supply of goods by producers, and the equilibrium condition that supply equal demand on every market. It was assumed that each consumer acts so as to maximize his utility, each producer acts so as to maximize his profit, and perfect competition prevails, in the sense that each producer and consumer regards the prices paid and received as independent of his own choices. Walras did not, however, give any conclusive arguments to show that the equations, as given, have a solution.
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- Chapter
- Information
- Mathematical EconomicsTwenty Papers of Gerard Debreu, pp. 68 - 97Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1983
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