Book Reviews

Bert M. Balk of the Rotterdam School of Management at Erasmus University reviews “The Index Number Problem: Construction Theorems”, by Sydney Afriat. The Econlit abstract of this book begins: “Presents a solution to the index number problem. Discusses the new formula; the power algorithm; combinatorics; consistency; and illustration. Includes a section on construction theorems that discusses the system of inequalities ars > xs − xr; the principles of choice and preference; utility construction revisited; the construction of separable utility functions from expenditure data; the connection between demand and utility; and revealed preference revealed.”

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The Construction of Separable Utility Functions from Expenditure Data

The Index Number Problem ◽

10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199670581.003.0010 ◽

2014 ◽

pp. 133-147 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

S. N. Afriat

Keyword(s):

Utility Functions ◽

Expenditure Data ◽

Separable Utility

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The Index Number Problem

National Accounts and Economic value ◽

10.1057/9780230512900_4 ◽

2001 ◽

pp. 67-100

Author(s):

Utz-Peter Reich

Keyword(s):

Index Number ◽

Number Problem

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Money-metric utility functions in the theory of revealed preference

Mathematical Social Sciences ◽

10.1016/0165-4896(89)90030-9 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 18 (3) ◽

pp. 199-210 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Susanne Fuchs-Seliger

Keyword(s):

Revealed Preference ◽

Utility Functions ◽

Money Metric Utility

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APPENDIX B: Dealing with the Index Number Problem

Faulty Foundations ◽

10.1515/9781400862702.302 ◽

1992 ◽

pp. 302-308

Keyword(s):

Index Number ◽

Number Problem

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Specification of commodity subsets for separable utility functions

Applied Economics ◽

10.1080/00036847500000027 ◽

1975 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

pp. 257-264 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Arthur Kraft ◽

John Kraft

Keyword(s):

Utility Functions ◽

Separable Utility

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Book Reviews

Journal of Economic Literature ◽

10.1257/jel.54.3.942.r2 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 54 (3) ◽

pp. 944-945

Keyword(s):

Consumer Choice ◽

Choice Theory ◽

Revealed Preference ◽

General Equilibrium Theory ◽

Preference Theory ◽

Choice Under Uncertainty ◽

The University ◽

Consumer Choice Behavior ◽

Rational Demand

Hal R. Varian of the University of California, Berkeley reviews “Revealed Preference Theory,” by Christopher P. Chambers and Federico Echenique. The Econlit abstract of this book begins: “Presents mathematical models that capture the preferences revealed through consumer choice behavior, addresses the relation between theory and data, and studies situations in which empirical observations are consistent or inconsistent with theories in economics. Discusses mathematical preliminaries; classical abstract choice theory; rational demand; topics in rational demand; practical issues in revealed preference analysis; production; stochastic choice; choice under uncertainty; general equilibrium theory; game theory; social choice and political science; revealed preference and systems of polynomial inequalities; and revealed preference and model theory.”

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Comparisons of United States and USSR National Output: Some Rules of the Game

World Politics ◽

10.2307/2009265 ◽

1960 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 99-111 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Abraham S. Becker

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Unique Solution ◽

Gross National Product ◽

National Product ◽

Index Number ◽

Number Problem ◽

National Output ◽

Rules Of The Game

How large is the Soviet gross national product (GNP) relative to our own? A third as large? Half? Two-thirds? Which of the estimates is correct? As the unique solution, none of them, unfortunately. Nor need we search for other numbers: these are probably the best of the lot, and in any case, the reply would be the same. The problem is not one of data, or of definitions, or of estimating methods. Such problems do exist and present difficulties of their own, but the inescapable and immovable barrier to the unique solution in US-USSR national output comparisons is the crucial fact of differences in the structures of the American and Soviet economies. In general, in comparisons of different economies or of the same economy at different times, diverse structures create what the economist calls an “index-number problem.” The worst of it is, the “problem” is insoluble.

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Discrete growth, real output, and inflation: An additive perspective on the index number problem

Journal of Economic and Social Measurement ◽

10.3233/jem-2006-0260 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 31 (1-2) ◽

pp. 69-88 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Stephen D. Casler

Keyword(s):

Index Number ◽

Real Output ◽

Number Problem

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Separable utility functions

Journal of Mathematical Economics ◽

10.1016/s0304-4068(97)00805-7 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 28 (4) ◽

pp. 415-444 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Charalambos D. Aliprantis

Keyword(s):

Utility Functions ◽

Separable Utility

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Comment on Weber: Did Pareto Have a Cobb–Douglas Utility Function?

Journal of the History of Economic Thought ◽

10.1017/s1053837200001875 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 20 (2) ◽

pp. 211-212

Author(s):

Hans Brems

Keyword(s):

Utility Function ◽

Marginal Utility ◽

Utility Functions ◽

Preceding Article ◽

Separable Utility

In Christian Weber's opinion in the preceding article in this journal, although Vilfredo Pareto never wrote his utility function in the Cobb-Douglas form U = rβbrγc, he did present an early, if incomplete, discussion of a Cobb-Douglas utility function. Weber's sections II and III try to document his opinion.Weber's section II examines Pareto's “Considerazioni” (1892) on the assumption that the marginal utility πi, of good i depends only on the level ri, of consumption of that good. Section III examines Pareto's Manual (1909) on the assumption of “additive separable” utility functions.

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