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An Endogenous Gridpoint Method for Distributional Dynamics

Author

Listed:
  • Christian Bayer

  • Ralph Luetticke

  • Maximilian Weiss

  • Yannik Winkelmann

Abstract

The “histogram method” (Young, 2010), while the standard approach for analyzing distributional dynamics in heterogeneous agent models, is linear in optimal policies. We introduce a novel method that captures nonlinearities of distributional dynamics. This method solves the distributional dynamics by interpolation instead of integration, which is made possible by making the grid endogenous. It retains the tractability and speed of the histogram method, while increasing numerical efficiency even in the steady state and producing significant economic differences in scenarios with aggregate risk. We document this by studying aggregate investment risk with a third-order solution using perturbation techniques.

Suggested Citation

  • Christian Bayer & Ralph Luetticke & Maximilian Weiss & Yannik Winkelmann, 2024. "An Endogenous Gridpoint Method for Distributional Dynamics," CRC TR 224 Discussion Paper Series crctr224_2024_548, University of Bonn and University of Mannheim, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:bon:boncrc:crctr224_2024_548
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    3. Kase, Hanno & Melosi, Leonardo & Rottner, Matthias, 2022. "Estimating Nonlinear Heterogeneous Agents Models with Neural Networks," CEPR Discussion Papers 17391, Centre for Economic Policy Research.

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    JEL classification:

    • C46 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - Specific Distributions
    • C63 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Computational Techniques
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles

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