Application Of Linear Programming To The Theory Of The Firm

Application of Linear Programming to the Theory of the Firm

This title is a detailed academic monograph that explores the use of linear and non-linear programming in economic theory, specifically applied to the theory of the firm. Originally developed as a doctoral dissertation at the University of California, the study draws heavily on contributions from leading economists and mathematicians. The work acknowledges the influence of George Dantzig, who pioneered linear programming, as well as contributions from Professor G.C. Evans, who provided guidance on mathematical rigor. The monograph also recognizes Professor A.W. Tucker’s foundational work on non-linear programming, which enabled the author’s exploration of quadratic programming applications in monopolistic settings. The research, inspired by and partially funded through a United States Air Force initiative to advance administrative techniques, underscores the practical applications of programming theory within large organizations. This monograph emphasizes both the theoretical advances in economic modeling and the broader relevance of linear and quadratic programming approaches to real-world organizational challenges. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1951.

Application of Linear Programming to the Theory of the Firm

Linear Programming and Economic Analysis

Designed primarily for economists and those interested in management economics who are not necessarily accomplished mathematicians, this text offers a clear, concise exposition of the relationship of linear programming to standard economic analysis. The research and writing were supported by The RAND Corporation in the late 1950s. Linear programming has been one of the most important postwar developments in economic theory, but until publication of the present volume, no text offered a comprehensive treatment of the many facets of the relationship of linear programming to traditional economic theory. This book was the first to provide a wide-ranging survey of such important aspects of the topic as the interrelations between the celebrated von Neumann theory of games and linear programming, and the relationship between game theory and the traditional economic theories of duopoly and bilateral monopoly. Modern economists will especially appreciate the treatment of the connection between linear programming and modern welfare economics and the insights that linear programming gives into the determinateness of Walrasian equilibrium. The book also offers an excellent introduction to the important Leontief theory of input-output as well as extensive treatment of the problems of dynamic linear programming. Successfully used for three decades in graduate economics courses, this book stresses practical problems and specifies important concrete applications.