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Necessity of the Transversality Condition for Stochastic Models with Bounded or CRRA Utility

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  • Takashi Kamihigashi

    (Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration (RIEB), Kobe University, Japan)

Abstract

This paper shows that the standard transversality condition (STVC) is necessary for optimality for stochastic models with bounded or constant-relative-risk-aversion (CRRA) utility under fairly general conditions. We consider an infinite-horizon stochastic maximization problem that takes a general form of multi-sector growth model with a single consumption good. We establish three results: (i) the STVC is necessary if utility is bounded; (ii) the STVC is necessary if utility is logarithmic; and (iii) the STVC is necessary in the case of non-logarithmic CRRA utility as long as lifetime utility is finite at the optimum. These results apply to various stochastic growth models, including real business cycle models with endogenous labor supply. Since unbounded utility functions that do not belong to the CRRA class are rather rare in applications, our results provide a fairly complete set of solutions regarding necessity of the STVC in practice.

Suggested Citation

  • Takashi Kamihigashi, 2004. "Necessity of the Transversality Condition for Stochastic Models with Bounded or CRRA Utility," Discussion Paper Series 152, Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University.
    • Handle: RePEc:kob:dpaper:152
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    Cited by:

    1. Takashi Kamihigashi, 2015. "Multiple interior steady states in the Ramsey model with elastic labor supply," International Journal of Economic Theory, The International Society for Economic Theory, vol. 11(1), pages 25-37, March.
    2. Karim Azizi & Nicolas Canry & Jean-Bernard Chatelain & Bruno Tinel, 2013. "Government Solvency, Austerity and Fiscal Consolidation in the OECD: A Keynesian Appraisal of Transversality and No Ponzi Game Conditions," Working Papers hal-00818474, HAL.
    3. Takashi Kamihigashi, 2015. "A Simple No-Bubble Theorem for Deterministic Sequential Economies," Discussion Paper Series DP2015-38, Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University.
    4. Takashi Kamihigashi, 2006. "Transversality Conditions and Dynamic Economic Behavior," Discussion Paper Series 180, Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University.
    5. Jean-Bernard Chatelain & Kirsten Ralf, 2012. "The Failure Of Financial Macroeconomics And What To Do About It," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 80, pages 21-53, September.
    6. Takashi Kamihigashi, 2016. "A Simple Optimality-Based No-Bubble Theorem for Deterministic Sequential Economies," Discussion Paper Series DP2016-22, Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University.
    7. Takashi Kamihigashi, 2017. "Regime-Switching Sunspot Equilibria in a One-Sector Growth Model with Aggregate Decreasing Returns and Small Externalities," Studies in Economic Theory, in: Kazuo Nishimura & Alain Venditti & Nicholas C. Yannelis (ed.), Sunspots and Non-Linear Dynamics, chapter 0, pages 125-146, Springer.
    8. Gourieroux, C. & Jasiak, J. & Monfort, A., 2020. "Stationary bubble equilibria in rational expectation models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 218(2), pages 714-735.
    9. Takashi Kamihigashi, 2016. "A Generalization of Fatou's Lemma for Extended Real-Valued Functions on σ-Finite Measure Spaces: With an Application to Infinite-Horizon Optimization in Discrete Time," Discussion Paper Series DP2016-37, Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University, revised Jan 2017.
    10. Adam, Klaus & Merkel, Sebastian, 2019. "Stock price cycles and business cycles," Working Paper Series 2316, European Central Bank.
    11. Tapan Mitra & Santanu Roy, 2022. "Propensity to consume and the optimality of Ramsey–Euler policies," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 73(1), pages 55-89, February.
    12. Takashi Kamihigashi, 2015. "A Simple No-Bubble Theorem for Deterministic Dynamic Economies," Discussion Paper Series DP2015-24, Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University.
    13. Travis D. Nesmith, 2005. "Solving stochastic money-in-the-utility-function models," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2005-52, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    14. Fu, Wentao & Le Riche, Antoine, 2021. "Endogenous growth model with Bayesian learning and technology selection," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 58-71.
    15. Jean-Bernard Chatelain & Bruno Tinel & Karim Azizi & Nicolas Canry, 2012. "Are the No-Ponzi Game and the Transversality Conditions Relevant for Public Debt? A Keynesian Appraisal," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) hal-00686788, HAL.
    16. Vasilev, Aleksandar, 2015. "The welfare effect of at income tax reform: the case of Bulgaria. Technical Appendix," EconStor Research Reports 124168, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    17. Takashi Kamihigashi, 2015. "A Simple No-Bubble Theorem," Discussion Paper Series DP2015-03, Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University.
    18. Kamihigashi, Takashi, 2018. "A Simple optimality-based no-bubble theorem for deterministic sequential economies with strictly monotone preferences," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 36-41.
    19. Maggi, Bernardo, 2023. "Eurosystem stability: A stochastic dynamic optimization approach to public debt," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    20. Mitra, Tapan & Roy, Santanu, 2017. "Optimality of Ramsey–Euler policy in the stochastic growth model," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 1-25.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Transversality condition; Stochastic optimization; Stochastic growth; CRRA; Real business cycle;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C61 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Optimization Techniques; Programming Models; Dynamic Analysis
    • D90 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - General
    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates

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