Award Date
1-1-2000
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Mathematical Sciences
First Committee Member
David Costa
Number of Pages
65
Abstract
We consider the maximization of a functional representing social welfare over continuous time. A social welfare functional (SWF) is an integral that models social welfare as a function of individual consumption, individual utility of consumption and the value of utility aggregated across individuals. A SWF may be subject to constraints in the form of differential or integral equations and inequalities, which represent the production possibilities of the economy. We solve the optimization problem by applying the Pontryagin maximum principle. We consider an autarky and a command economy. We explore the interaction of impatience and productivity in autarky and the implications of different maxims of distributive justice in a command economy.
Keywords
Application Control; Economics; Optimal; Theory; Welfare
Controlled Subject
Mathematics; Economics
File Format
File Size
1536 KB
Degree Grantor
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Language
English
Permissions
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Repository Citation
Scroggin, Steven Ernest, "An application of optimal control theory in welfare economics" (2000). UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations. 1158.
http://dx.doi.org/10.25669/kci8-gu4w
Rights
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