Recursive macroeconomic theory

Abstract

Recursive methods offer a powerful approach for characterizing and solvingcomplicated problems in dynamic macroeconomics. Recursive Macroeconomic Theory provides both anintroduction to recursive methods and advanced material, mixing tools and sample applications. Thesecond edition contains substantial revisions to about half the original material, and extensiveadditional coverage appears in seven chapters new to this edition. The updated and added materialcovers exciting new topics that further illustrate the power and pervasiveness of recursivemethods.Significant improvements to original chapters include a better treatment of the existence ofrecursive equilibria, an enhanced account of the supermartingale convergence theorem, and anextended treatment of an optimal taxation problem in an economy in which there are incompletemarkets. Completely new coverage in the second edition includes an introductory chapter, which givesan overview of the themes uniting the diverse topics treated throughout the book. Two new chaptersoffer a self-contained account of the optimal growth model and some of its basic applications inmacroeconomics and public finance. Other new chapters cover such topics as how to formulate andcompute Stackelberg or Ramsey plans in linear economies, sustainable risk-sharing equilibria withoutcommitment, and the application of recursive contracts to topics in international trade. Mostchapters conclude with exercises and the book includes two technical appendixes covering functionalanalysis and control and filtering.