Abstract
This paper deals with the existence problem of optimal growth with recursive utility in a continuous-time model without convexity assumptions. We consider a general reduced model of capital accumulation and provide an existence result allowing the production technology to be nonconvex and the objective functional to be nonconcave and recursive. The program space under investigation is a weighted Sobolev space with discounting built in, as introduced by Chichilnisky. The compactness of the feasible set and the continuity of the objective are proven by the effective use of ℒ2-convergence. Existence follows from the classical Weierstrass theorem.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Koopmans, T. C., Stationary Ordinal Utility and Impatience, Econometrica, Vol. 28, pp. 287–309, 1960.
Becker, R. A., and Boyd, J. H., III, Capital Theory, Equilibrium Analysis, and Recursiue Utility, Blackwell, Oxford, England, 1997.
Uzawa, H., Time Preferences, the Consumption Function, and Optimum Asset Holdings, Value, Capital, and Growth: Papers in Honor of Sir John Hicks, Edited by J. N. Wolfe, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, Scotland, pp. 485–504, 1968.
Epstein, L.G., A Simple Dynamic General Equilibrium Model, Journal of Economic Theory, Vol. 41, pp. 68–95, 1987.
Epstein, L. G., and Hynes, A., The Rate of Time Preference and Dynamic Economic Analysis, Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 91, pp. 611–635, 1983.
Epstein, L. G., The Global Stability of Efficient Intertemporal Allocations, Econometrica, Vol. 55, pp. 329–355, 1987.
Becker, R. A., Boyd, J. H., III, and Sung, B. Y., Recursive Utility and Optimal Capital Accumulation, I: Existence, Journal of Economic Theory, Vol. 47, pp. 76–100, 1989.
Chichilnisky, G., Nonlinear Functional Analysis and Optimal Economic Growth, Journal of Mathematical Analysis and Applications, Vol. 61, pp. 504–520, 1977.
Romer, P., Cake Eating, Chattering, and Jumps: Existence Results for Variational Problems, Econometrica, Vol. 54, pp. 897–908, 1986.
Cesari, L., Optimization-Theory and Applications: Problems with Ordinary Differential Equations, Springer Verlag, New York, NY, 1983.
Carlson, D. A., Nonconvex and Relaxed Infinite-Horizon Optimal Control Problems, Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications, Vol. 78, pp. 465–491, 1993.
Maruyama, T., Optimal Economic Growth with Infinite Planning Time Horizon, Proceedings of the Japan Academy, Vol. 57A, pp. 469–472, 1981.
Davidson, R., and Harris, R., Nonconvexities in Continuous-Time Investment Theory, Review of Economic Studies, Vol. 48, pp. 235–253, 1981.
Skiba, A. K., Optimal Growth with a Convex-Concave Production Function, Econometrica, Vol. 46, pp. 527–539, 1978.
Kufner, A., John, O., and FŬcík, S., Function Spaces, Noordhoff International Publishing, Leyden, Holland, 1977.
Krasnoselskii, M.A., Topological Methods in the Theory of Nonlinear Integral Equations, Macmillan, New York, NY, 1964.
Ekeland, I., and Temam, R., Convex Analysis and Variational Problems, North Holland, Amsterdam, Holland, 1976.
Dunford, N., and Schwartz, J. T., Linear Operators, Part 1: General Theory, John Wiley and Sons, New York, NY, 1958.
Marcellini, P., Nonconvex Integrals of the Calculus of Variations, Methods of Nonconvex Analysis, Lecture Notes in Mathematics, Edited by A. Cellina, Springer Verlag, New York, NY, Vol. 1446, pp. 16–57, 1990.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
SAGARA, N. Optimal Growth with Recursive Utility: An Existence Result without Convexity Assumptions. Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications 109, 371–383 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1017518523055
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1017518523055