Numerical Methods in Economics or On Being Nonprofit

Numerical Methods in Economics

Author: Kenneth L Judd

Honorable Mention in the category of Economics in the 1998 Professional/Scholarly Publishing Annual Awards Competition presented by the Association of American Publishers, Inc.

To harness the full power of computer technology, economists need to use a broad range of mathematical techniques. In this book, Kenneth Judd presents techniques from the numerical analysis and applied mathematics literatures and shows how to use them in economic analyses.

The book is divided into five parts. Part I provides a general introduction. Part II presents basics from numerical analysis on R^n,including linear equations, iterative methods, optimization, nonlinear equations, approximation methods, numerical integration and differentiation, and Monte Carlo methods. Part III covers methods for dynamic problems, including finite difference methods, projection methods, and numerical dynamic programming. Part IV covers perturbation and asymptotic solution methods. Finally, Part V covers applications to dynamic equilibrium analysis, including solution methods for perfect foresight models and rational expectation models. A web site contains supplementary material including programs and answers to exercises.

Table of Contents:

	Preface
I	Introduction	1
2	Elementary Concepts in Numerical Analysis	29
II	Basics from Numerical Analysis on R[superscript n]	53
3	Linear Equations and Iterative Methods	55
4	Optimization	93
5	Nonlinear Equations	147
6	Approximation Methods	195
7	Numerical Integration and Differentiation	251
8	Monte Carlo and Simulation Methods	285
9	Quasi-Monte Carlo Methods	309
III	Numerical Methods for Functional Problems	333
10	Finite-Difference Methods	335
11	Projection Methods for Functional Equations	369
12	Numerical Dynamic Programming	399
IV	Perturbation Methods	445
13	Regular Perturbations of Simple Systems	447
14	Regular Perturbations in Multidimensional Systems	487
15	Advanced Asymptotic Methods	511
V	Applications to Dynamic Equilibrium Analysis	535
16	Solution Methods for Perfect Foresight Models	537
17	Solving Rational Expectations Models	573
	References	609
	Index	623

Read also Beautiful Wineries of Wine Country or Austrian Cooking Baking

On Being Nonprofit: A Conceptual and Policy Primer

Author: Peter Frumkin

This concise and illuminating book provides a road map to the evolving conceptual and policy terrain of the nonprofit sector. Drawing on prominent economic, political, and sociological explanations of nonprofit activity, Peter Frumkin focuses on four important functions that have come to define nonprofit organizations. The author clarifies the debate over the underlying rationale for the nonprofit and voluntary sector's privileged position in America by examining how nonprofits deliver needed services, promote civic engagement, express values and faith, and channel entrepreneurial impulses. He also exposes the difficult policy questions that have emerged as the boundaries between the nonprofit, business, and government sectors have blurred. Focusing on nonprofits' growing dependence on public funding, tendency toward political polarization, often idiosyncratic missions, and increasing commercialism, Peter Frumkin argues that the long-term challenges facing nonprofit organizations will only be solved when they achieve greater balance among their four central functions. By probing foundational thinking as well as emergent ideas, the book is an essential guide for nonprofit novitiates and experts alike who want to understand the issues propelling public debate about the future of their sector. By virtue of its breadth and insight, Frumkin's book will be an invaluable resource for anyone interested in understanding the complex interplay of public purposes and private values that animate nonprofit organizations.