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An Escape Time Interpretation of Robust Control

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This paper studies the problem of an agent who wants to prevent the state from exceeding a critical threshold. Even though the agent is presumed to know the model, the optimal policy is computed by solving a conventional robust control problem. That is, robustness is induced here by objectives rather than uncertainty, and so is an example of the duality between risk-sensitivity and robustness. However, here the agent only incurs costs upon escape to a critical region, not during ‘normal times’. We argue this is often a more realistic model of macroeconomic policymaking.

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  • In-Koo Cho & Kenneth Kasa, 2013. "An Escape Time Interpretation of Robust Control," Discussion Papers dp13-07, Department of Economics, Simon Fraser University.
    • Handle: RePEc:sfu:sfudps:dp13-07
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    1. Tomasz Strzalecki, 2011. "Axiomatic Foundations of Multiplier Preferences," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 79(1), pages 47-73, January.
    2. Lars Peter Hansen & Thomas J Sargent, 2014. "Robust Control and Model Misspecification," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: UNCERTAINTY WITHIN ECONOMIC MODELS, chapter 6, pages 155-216, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    3. Prajit K. Dutta & Roy Radner, 1999. "Profit Maximization and the Market Selection Hypothesis," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 66(4), pages 769-798.
    4. Miao, Jianjun & Wang, Neng, 2011. "Risk, uncertainty, and option exercise," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 35(4), pages 442-461, April.
    5. Kolyuzhnov, Dmitri & Bogomolova, Anna & Slobodyan, Sergey, 2014. "Escape dynamics: A continuous-time approximation," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 161-183.
    6. Pascal J. Maenhout, 2004. "Robust Portfolio Rules and Asset Pricing," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 17(4), pages 951-983.
    7. Anderson, Evan W. & Hansen, Lars Peter & Sargent, Thomas J., 2012. "Small noise methods for risk-sensitive/robust economies," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 468-500.
    8. M. Trojanowska & P. M. Kort, 2010. "The Worst Case for Real Options," Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications, Springer, vol. 146(3), pages 709-734, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Yoshioka, Hidekazu & Yaegashi, Yuta, 2019. "A finite difference scheme for variational inequalities arising in stochastic control problems with several singular control variables," Mathematics and Computers in Simulation (MATCOM), Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 40-66.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    robust control; large deviations;

    JEL classification:

    • C61 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Optimization Techniques; Programming Models; Dynamic Analysis
    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty

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