The question of how far mathematical methods of reasoning and inves tigation are applicable in economic theorising has long been a matter of debate. The first part of this question needing to be answered was whether, outside the range of ordinary statistical methods, such application is in fact possible. In my opinion the controversy on this point has been a fruitful one, which has led, as might have been expected, to an affirmative answer. What, however, has not yet been decided - for the simple reason that hitherto it has not been investigated - is whether the application of mathematical methods to our science is expedient. From the point of view of economic methodology this seems to me the more important part of the question, although the only considerations hitherto brought to bear upon it have been of a rather general character, based on uncer tain ideas which have led to uncertain conclusions. That is why I welcome this attempt of Dr. Heinz W. Brand to bring the solution nearer by his present work. The conclusion he reaches here is that mathematical methods cannot unreservedly be employed in our science. The arguments which he carefully weighs, in the course of a criticism which is never destructive, are centred on his own criterion of asking whether it is not merely possible, but at the same time profitable, to apply mathematics in economic science.

The latest update on this popular textbook The importance of concepts and methods based on fuzzy logic and fuzzy set theory has been rapidly growing since the early 1990s and all the indications are that this trend will continue in the foreseeable future. Fuzzy Logic with Engineering Applications, Fourth Edition is a new edition of the popular textbook with 15% of new and updated material. Updates have been made to most of the chapters and each chapter now includes new end-of-chapter problems. Key features: New edition of the popular textbook with 15% of new and updated material. Includes new examples and end-of-chapter problems. Has been made more concise with the removal of out of date material. Covers applications of fuzzy logic to engineering and science. Accompanied by a website hosting a solutions manual and software. The book is essential reading for graduates and senior undergraduate students in civil, chemical, mechanical and electrical engineering as wells as researchers and practitioners working with fuzzy logic in industry.

Includes papers and proceedings of the annual meeting of the American Economic Association. Covers all areas of economic research.

This book explores the principal issues involved in bridging the gap between the pure theory of consumer behavior and its empirical implementation. The theoretical starting point is the familiar static, one-period, utility maximizing model in which the consumer allocates a fixed budget among competing categories of goods. The authors focus upon four issues of primary importance in empirical demand analysis: the structure of preferences, the treatment of demographic variables, treatment of dynamics, and the specification of the stochastic structure of the demand system.

Throughout history human societies have sought to manage their reproductive lives to make them fit in with their social, economic and biological conditions. But the different ways communities regulate their fertility, penetrating every aspect of their social life, are so varied and specific that they are often incomprehensible to outsiders. In this book a group of anthropologists set out to throw new light on the dynamics of human reproduction in the world today, looking at the intricate ways that people manage their reproductive life across different cultures, and highlighting the wider meaning of human reproduction and its impact on social organization. The importance of human agency, ethnic boundaries, the regulation of gender relations, issues of fertility and infertility, the significance of children and motherhood and the problems of two large vulnerable social groups, youth and refugees, are all considered in their broader social contexts.

Household and Economy: Welfare Economics of Endogenous Fertility deals with welfare economics and the socially optimal population size, as well as the social consequences of individual choice with respect to family size within each generation. The general equilibrium implications of endogenous fertility for a number of issues of population policy are discussed. In addition to their own consumption, the number of children and the utility of each child is assumed to enter the utility function of the parents. Comprised of 10 chapters, this volume begins with a review of social welfare criteria for optimal population size and the static theory of optimal population size, optimal population growth with exogenous fertility, and the theory of endogenous fertility. The reader is then introduced to the basic principles of welfare economics and the economics of externalities, followed by a summary of the traditional theory of household behavior. Subsequent chapters focus on optimal population size according to various social welfare criteria; real and potential externalities generated by the endogeneity of fertility; and the principal alternative reason for having children: to transfer resources from the present to support the future consumption of parents in old age. The book concludes by assessing the implications of endogenous fertility for within-generation income distribution policies and reflecting on the directions in which future research may be fruitful. This monograph will be of value to economists, social scientists, students of welfare economics, and those who wish to understand the contribution of economic analysis to an improved understanding of population policy.

The award-winning The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics, 2nd edition is now available as a dynamic online resource. Consisting of over 1,900 articles written by leading figures in the field including Nobel prize winners, this is the definitive scholarly reference work for a new generation of economists. Regularly updated! This product is a subscription based product.