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Similarities and differences between physics and economics

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  • Stanley, H.E.
  • Amaral, L.A.N.
  • Gabaix, X.
  • Gopikrishnan, P.
  • Plerou, V.

Abstract

In this opening talk, we discuss some of the similarities between work being done by economists, and by physicists seeking to contribute to economics. We also mention some of the differences in the approaches taken, and justify these different approaches by developing the argument that by approaching the same problem from different points of view new results might emerge. In particular, we review some recent results, for example the finding that there are two new universal scaling models in economics: (i) the fluctuation of price changes of any stock market is characterized by a PDF which is a simple power law with exponent 4 that extends over 102 standard deviations (a factor of 108 on the y-axis); (ii) for a wide range of economic organizations, the histogram that shows how size of organization is inversely correlated to fluctuations in size with an exponent ≈1/6. Neither of these two new laws has a firm theoretical foundation. We also discuss results that are reminiscent of phase transitions in spin systems, where the divergent behavior of the response function at the critical point (zero magnetic field) leads to large fluctuations.

Suggested Citation

  • Stanley, H.E. & Amaral, L.A.N. & Gabaix, X. & Gopikrishnan, P. & Plerou, V., 2001. "Similarities and differences between physics and economics," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 299(1), pages 1-15.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:299:y:2001:i:1:p:1-15
    DOI: 10.1016/S0378-4371(01)00351-X
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Yanhui Liu & Parameswaran Gopikrishnan & Pierre Cizeau & Martin Meyer & Chung-Kang Peng & H. Eugene Stanley, 1999. "The statistical properties of the volatility of price fluctuations," Papers cond-mat/9903369, arXiv.org, revised Mar 1999.
    2. Parameswaran Gopikrishnan & Vasiliki Plerou & Luis A. Nunes Amaral & Martin Meyer & H. Eugene Stanley, 1999. "Scaling of the distribution of fluctuations of financial market indices," Papers cond-mat/9905305, arXiv.org.
    3. Youngki Lee & Luis A. N. Amaral & David Canning & Martin Meyer & H. Eugene Stanley, 1998. "Universal features in the growth dynamics of complex organizations," Papers cond-mat/9804100, arXiv.org.
    4. L. A. N. Amaral & S. V. Buldyrev & S. Havlin & H. Leschhorn & P. Maass & M. A. Salinger & H. E. Stanley & M. H. R. Stanley, 1997. "Scaling behavior in economics: I. Empirical results for company growth," Papers cond-mat/9702082, arXiv.org.
    5. Parameswaran Gopikrishnan & Vasiliki Plerou & Xavier Gabaix & H. Eugene Stanley, 2000. "Statistical Properties of Share Volume Traded in Financial Markets," Papers cond-mat/0008113, arXiv.org.
    6. Timothy H. Keitt & H. Eugene Stanley, 1998. "Dynamics of North American breeding bird populations," Nature, Nature, vol. 393(6682), pages 257-260, May.
    7. P. Gopikrishnan & M. Meyer & L.A.N. Amaral & H.E. Stanley, 1998. "Inverse cubic law for the distribution of stock price variations," The European Physical Journal B: Condensed Matter and Complex Systems, Springer;EDP Sciences, vol. 3(2), pages 139-140, July.
    8. V. Plerou & P. Gopikrishnan & L. A. N. Amaral & M. Meyer & H. E. Stanley, 1999. "Scaling of the distribution of price fluctuations of individual companies," Papers cond-mat/9907161, arXiv.org.
    9. Ding, Zhuanxin & Granger, Clive W. J. & Engle, Robert F., 1993. "A long memory property of stock market returns and a new model," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 1(1), pages 83-106, June.
    10. Vasiliki Plerou & Luís A. Nunes Amaral & Parameswaran Gopikrishnan & Martin Meyer & H. Eugene Stanley, 1999. "Similarities between the growth dynamics of university research and of competitive economic activities," Nature, Nature, vol. 400(6743), pages 433-437, July.
    11. Mantegna, Rosario N. & Stanley, H.Eugene, 1998. "Modeling of financial data: Comparison of the truncated Lévy flight and the ARCH(1) and GARCH(1,1) processes," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 254(1), pages 77-84.
    12. Benoit Mandelbrot, 2015. "The Variation of Certain Speculative Prices," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Anastasios G Malliaris & William T Ziemba (ed.), THE WORLD SCIENTIFIC HANDBOOK OF FUTURES MARKETS, chapter 3, pages 39-78, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    13. Parameswaran Gopikrishnan & Martin Meyer & Luis A Nunes Amaral & H Eugene Stanley, 1998. "Inverse Cubic Law for the Probability Distribution of Stock Price Variations," Papers cond-mat/9803374, arXiv.org, revised May 1998.
    14. S. V. Buldyrev & L. A. N. Amaral & S. Havlin & H. Leschhorn & P. Maass & M. A. Salinger & H. E. Stanley & M. H. R. Stanley, 1997. "Scaling behavior in economics: II. Modeling of company growth," Papers cond-mat/9702085, arXiv.org.
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    7. Paulo Ferreira & Andreia Dionisio, 2008. "Voters' dissatisfaction, abstention and entropy: analysis in European countries," CEFAGE-UE Working Papers 2008_11, University of Evora, CEFAGE-UE (Portugal).
    8. Okan Duru, 2017. "The Origin and Consistency of the Ton–Mile Metric in the Shipping Economics," Logistics, MDPI, vol. 1(1), pages 1-8, February.
    9. Yonatan Berman & Eshel Ben-Jacob & Xin Zhang & Yoash Shapira, 2016. "Analyzing the Long Term Cohesive Effect of Sector Specific Driving Forces," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(3), pages 1-16, March.
    10. Sergio Da Silva, 2004. "International Finance, Levy Distributions, and the Econophysics of Exchange Rates," International Finance 0405018, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Scarlat, E.I. & Stan, Cristina & Cristescu, C.P., 2007. "Self-similar characteristics of the currency exchange rate in an economy in transition," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 379(1), pages 188-198.
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