Essays in Index Number Theory

by Diewert, W. Erwin; Nakamura, Alice O.

• ISBN13: 9780444874719
• ISBN10: 0444874712
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1993-04-01
• Publisher: Emerald Group Pub Ltd

Summary

This volume, and a subsequent one, contain several new papers on index number and aggregation theory, as well as some previously published papers, by W.E. Diewert and co-authors. The two volumes study aggregation problems in economics, primarily the aggregation over goods problem. However, some of the chapters also touch on aspects of the aggregation over agents problem. In the present volume the reader can find, according to his/her requirements, either a short course on index number theory; a more in-depth course; or chapters on specific topics such as the measurement of inequality, functional forms for social welfare functions, or the theory of choice under uncertainty. Students and researchers will appreciate having these papers easily accessible. The book will be valuable too for those in the government agencies around the world that produce price statistics, insuring an understanding of important properties of alternative indexes, and of how economists use and interpret price indexes.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Overview of Volume I	p. 1
History
The Early History of Price Index Research	p. 33
Konus, Alexander Alexandrovich	p. 67
Laspeyres, Ernst Louis Etienne	p. 69
Surveys and Basic Methods
Index Numbers	p. 71
Duality Approaches to Microeconomic Theory	p. 105
The Economic Theory of Index Numbers: A Survey	p. 177
Superlative Index Numbers
Exact and Superlative Index Numbers	p. 223
Superlative Index Numbers and Consistency in Aggregation	p. 253
Direct Versus Implicit Superlative Index Number Formulae	p. 275
The Axiomatic Approach to Index Number Theory
Group Cost of Living Indexes: Approximations and Axiomatics	p. 287
Test Approaches to International Comparisons	p. 305
Fisher Ideal Output, Input and Productivity Indexes Revisited	p. 317
Symmetric Means and Choice under Uncertainty	p. 355
Aggregation Using Price Proportionality
Hicks' Aggregation Theorem and the Existence of a Real Value Added Function	p. 435
A Note on Aggregation and Elasticities of Substitution	p. 471
Consolidated References for Volume I	p. 481
Name Index	p. 523
Subject Index	p. 531
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