IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/revepe/v4y2023i2d10.1007_s43253-023-00102-0.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

An entropy theory of value with reflections on the Arrow–Debreu model

Author

Listed:
  • Jing Chen

    (University of Northern British Columbia)

  • James K. Galbraith

    (The University of Texas at Austin)

Abstract

We present a simple mathematical formulation of an entropy theory of value, consistent with evolutionary economics. It is a non-equilibrium theory, logarithmic in form, which explains the roles of monopoly and oligopoly as well as scarcity in determining economic values. It is an objective theory, rooted in physical realities and economic institutions, similar to the information theory developed by Shannon (1948). We compare this theory to the subjective, utility theory of the Arrow–Debreu model, the foundation of general equilibrium economics.

Suggested Citation

  • Jing Chen & James K. Galbraith, 2023. "An entropy theory of value with reflections on the Arrow–Debreu model," Review of Evolutionary Political Economy, Springer, vol. 4(2), pages 221-247, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:revepe:v:4:y:2023:i:2:d:10.1007_s43253-023-00102-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s43253-023-00102-0
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s43253-023-00102-0
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s43253-023-00102-0?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Arrow, Kenneth J, 1974. "General Economic Equilibrium: Purpose, Analytic Techniques, Collective Choice," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 64(3), pages 253-272, June.
    2. Michels, Robert, 1915. "Political Parties: A Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy," History of Economic Thought Books, McMaster University Archive for the History of Economic Thought, number michels1915.
    3. Jing Chen, 2005. "The Physical Foundation of Economics:An Analytical Thermodynamic Theory," World Scientific Books, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., number 5819, January.
    4. James Bessen & Eric Maskin, 2009. "Sequential innovation, patents, and imitation," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 40(4), pages 611-635, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Galasso, Alberto & Schankerman, Mark, 2013. "Patents and Cumulative Innovation:Causal Evidence from the Courts," IIR Working Paper 13-16, Institute of Innovation Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    2. Leonard F.S. Wang & Arijit Mukherjee, 2014. "Patent Protection, Innovation and Technology Licensing," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(3-4), pages 245-254, December.
    3. Schankerman, Mark & Schuett, Florian, 2016. "Screening for Patent Quality," CEPR Discussion Papers 11688, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    4. Guido Cozzi, 2009. "Intellectual Property, Innovation, And Growth: Introduction To The Special Issue," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 56(4), pages 383-389, September.
    5. Barge-Gil, Andrés & López, Alberto, 2014. "R&D determinants: Accounting for the differences between research and development," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(9), pages 1634-1648.
    6. Nathalie Berta, 2016. "On the definition of externality as a missing market," Post-Print halshs-01277990, HAL.
    7. Gerard Llobet & Javier Suarez, 2010. "Entrepreneurial Innovation, Patent Protection and Industry Dynamics," Working Papers wp2010_1001, CEMFI.
    8. Vidyanand Choudhary & Mingdi Xin & Zhe Zhang, 2023. "Sequential IT Investment: Can the Risk of IT Implementation Failure Be Your Friend?," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 34(3), pages 1017-1044, September.
    9. Elif Bascavusoglu & Maria Pluvia Zuniga, 2005. "The effects of intellectual property protection on international knowledge contracting," Cahiers de la Maison des Sciences Economiques bla05009, Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris 1).
    10. Lee Branstetter & Raymond Fisman & C. Fritz Foley, 2005. "Do Stronger Intellectual Property Rights Increase International Technology Transfer? Empirical Evidence from U.S. Firm-Level Data," NBER Working Papers 11516, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Gauguier, Jean-Jacques, 2009. "L’industrialisation de l’Open Source," Economics Thesis from University Paris Dauphine, Paris Dauphine University, number 123456789/4388 edited by Toledano, Joëlle.
    12. Michael Noel & Mark Schankerman, 2013. "Strategic Patenting and Software Innovation," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(3), pages 481-520, September.
    13. Fershtman, Chaim & Markovich, Sarit, 2010. "Patents, imitation and licensing in an asymmetric dynamic R&D race," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 28(2), pages 113-126, March.
    14. Alvarez, Jose L. & Maza, Carmelo, 2000. "Consumption of management publications, The," IESE Research Papers D/420, IESE Business School.
    15. Paul Vertier, 2018. "The democratic challenges of electoral representation and populism : an empirical approach [Les défis démocratiques de la représentation électorale et du populisme : une approche empirique]," SciencePo Working papers Main tel-03419534, HAL.
    16. Adrien Hervouet & Marc Baudry, 2011. "Promoting innovation in the seed market and biodiversity: the role of IPRs and commercialization rules," Post-Print hal-02012239, HAL.
    17. Luigi Balletta & Antonio Tesoriere, 2020. "Cumulative innovation, open source, and distance to frontier," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 22(6), pages 1875-1920, December.
    18. Tony C. Scott & Madhusudan Therani & Xing M. Wang, 2017. "Data Clustering with Quantum Mechanics," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 5(1), pages 1-17, January.
    19. David Paul A., 2008. "The Historical Origins of 'Open Science': An Essay on Patronage, Reputation and Common Agency Contracting in the Scientific Revolution," Capitalism and Society, De Gruyter, vol. 3(2), pages 1-106, October.
    20. Drew L. Harris & Teresa M. Twomey, 2019. "Economic Democracy: The Role of Privilege in Advancing Civilization," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 78(5), pages 1229-1249, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:revepe:v:4:y:2023:i:2:d:10.1007_s43253-023-00102-0. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.