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An Economic Index of Riskiness

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  • Robert J. Aumann
  • Roberto Serrano

Abstract

Define the riskiness of a gamble as the reciprocal of the absolute risk aversion (ARA) of an individual with constant ARA who is indifferent between taking and not taking that gamble. We characterize this index by axioms, chief among them a “duality” axiom which, roughly speaking, asserts that less risk-averse individuals accept riskier gambles. The index is positively homogeneous, continuous, and subadditive, respects first and second order stochastic dominance, and for normally distributed gambles, is half of variance/mean. Examples are calculated, additional properties derived, and the index is compared with others.

Suggested Citation

  • Robert J. Aumann & Roberto Serrano, 2007. "An Economic Index of Riskiness," Working Papers wp2007_0706, CEMFI.
    • Handle: RePEc:cmf:wpaper:wp2007_0706
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C00 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - General - - - General
    • C43 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - Index Numbers and Aggregation
    • D00 - Microeconomics - - General - - - General
    • D80 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - General
    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • E44 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy
    • G00 - Financial Economics - - General - - - General

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