Questions tagged [optimal-control]

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2 votes
1 answer
36 views

stochastic optimal control/FOC/Reis(2021)

Reis (2021) `The constraint on public debt when $r < g$ but $g < m$' : HJB: $$\rho V(a, q) = \max_{c/a, k/a} [\log c + V'(a,q)[r + (mq-r)\frac{k}{a} - \frac{c}{a}] a + \frac{V''(a,q)}{2} (k/a)^2 ...
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1 vote
0 answers
30 views

How is the constrained maximization problem in the Ramsey model solved?

Assuming that utility is forward discounted $ \rho $, lifetime utility = $ \int_{0}^{\infty} e^{-\rho t}u(c) \,dt $. And in continuous time, we also know that $ \dot{k} = y - (\delta + n)k - c$. ...
3 votes
0 answers
71 views

Current best methods for solving dynamic optimization problems in high dimensional state spaces

I was wondering what the current best methods are for solving dynamic optimization problems in high dimensional state spaces. Let me lay out the common cases where I would do something like this in ...
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5 votes
1 answer
219 views

What are the assumptions made about fixed points in the dynamics equations of Recursive macroeconomics?

I am new to Macroeconomics, but I understand the basics of Recursive Macroeconomic models--following the Ljungqvist and Sargent book. So I get the basic recursive problem to find a vector of ...
  • 385
5 votes
1 answer
112 views

When does it make sense to use variational methods, versus dynamic programming, versus nonlinear control methods so solve DSGE models

I come from a statistics and applied math background, but have been looking at some problems related to macroeconomic DSGE models lately. So I am still trying to understand the ideas and economics ...
  • 385
2 votes
0 answers
65 views

Optimal Control Problem with Bang-Bang Solution

I am reading Acemoglu, Robinson, Verdier 2017 jpe and stuck at the derivation of the optimal control problem in section IV.D. The current-value Hamiltonian of the problem is $$H(m(t), u(t), \mu(t))=\...
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1 vote
1 answer
66 views

Which industries are widely agreed upon to require central regulation on a national basis, regardless of economic or political system?

For example, the most straightforward cases of widely accepted centrally controlled regulation on a national basis would be the nuclear power generation and nuclear fuel supply industries. Where every ...
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0 votes
0 answers
31 views

Why isn't the Federal Reserve interest rate set by a published algorithm?

The Federal Reserve sets the interest rate, presumably based on a number characteristics and trends in the economy: inflation, GDP growth, population growth, unemployment, housing prices, etc. However,...
  • 501
4 votes
2 answers
436 views

Multiple solutions to an HJB, how to pin down the optimal "viscosity" solution?

Consider the deterministic consumption-savings problem: $ V(a_t) = \underset{c}{\max} \int_{\tau =t}^{\tau = \infty} e^{-\rho (\tau - t) } u(c_{\tau}) d\tau $ w/ $u(c)=\frac{c^{1-\gamma}-1}{1-\...
5 votes
1 answer
119 views

What is the relationship between the HJB and "Hamiltonian"? Why is the Hamiltonian H(p) inside the HJB?

Deterministic Optimal Control Problem $ V(a_t) = \underset{c}{\max} \int_{\tau =t}^{\tau = \infty} e^{-\rho (\tau - t) } u(c_{\tau}) d\tau $ s.t. $ \frac{da}{d\tau} = \left( r a_{\tau} - c_{\tau} \...
3 votes
1 answer
268 views

Current valued VS Present Valued Hamiltonian Differing Euler equations

I have been having some difficulties with recovering the same euler equation from the following optimal control problem when comparing the present valued hamiltonian to the current valued hamiltonian. ...
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4 votes
0 answers
93 views

Solve the Ben-Porath Model (Optimal Control Problem)

Suppose we have a Ben-Porath style human capital investment model, in which the representative agent maximize her lifetime earnings: $$V(h, a)=\max \int_{a}^{R} e^{-r(t-a)}\left[ w h(t)(1-n(t))-px(t)\...
  • 2,249
5 votes
2 answers
736 views

Euler equation in Continuous time VS Discrete time

I have seen the euler equation in discrete time for the baseline neoclassical growth model written as: $$\frac{U'(c_{t+1})}{U'(c_{t})}=\frac{1}{\beta(1+r)}$$ however I have also seen the euler ...
  • 7,920
7 votes
1 answer
451 views

Intuition behind Euler Lagrange equation in economics

When being exposed to the concept of the Euler Lagrange equation as a mathematical concept, many ideas from the physical sciences are used to explain its relevance in terms of choice of shortest path, ...
  • 7,920
6 votes
1 answer
438 views

Deriving the Euler equation from a Continuous Time Dynamic Programming Problem (HJB)

Solving for the Euler equation in discrete time is farily straight forward with the use of the Benveniste Scheinkman theorem. However for the following standard Ramsey model: $$\max \int_{0}^{\infty}e^...
  • 7,920
4 votes
0 answers
160 views

What are the boundary value conditions for generic HJBs in economics?

Consider a routine continuous time optimization problem: $ V(t,a_{t}) := \max \int_{\tau=t}^{\tau = T} e^{-\rho (\tau -t)} u(c_{\tau})d\tau $ $\text{ s.t. }$ $\dot{a}_{t} = y + ra_{t} - c_{t}$, $a_{...
3 votes
2 answers
571 views

What is state space representation for DSGE modeling

I'm beginning with DSGE modeling, and a mathematical representation (perhaps trivial for most of the people that are more with this topic) is the space-state state representation of a dynamical model, ...
  • 752
5 votes
0 answers
132 views

Optimization in discrete time

I have made optimizations in continuous time that belong to the control theory, for example one case: $\max(\min)V[u(t)]=\int_0^Tf(t,x(t),u(t))dt$ constraint to: $\dot x=g(t,x(t),u(t))$ Where: $x(t)$: ...
  • 752
8 votes
1 answer
200 views

Continuous time optimization with two laws of motion (the Hamiltonian with two laws of motion)

How would we deal with a continuous time optimal control problem with two laws of motion? Suppose we have the following RCK like environment with human capital investment. $$\max_{c(t),k(t),h(t)}\int_{...
  • 7,920
5 votes
1 answer
2k views

Current Value Hamiltonian VS Present Value Hamiltonian in Economics

I've been looking at a number of optimal control problems and have been wondering under what conditions one should use the current value Hamiltonian over the present value Hamiltonian. Does it depend ...
  • 7,920
1 vote
0 answers
59 views

Constancy of current value Hamiltonian and numeric computations

I am playing with a simple, continuous time optimal growth problem to learn optimal control. The social planner chooses $c_t$ to maximize: $$\int_0^\infty e^{-\rho t}u(c_t)dt$$ where $$\dot k_t=f(k_t)-...
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2 votes
2 answers
94 views

Why do game theorists use a discounted payoff of this form?

Excuse the click-baity title. I notice the discounted payoff in the game theory literature usually takes the form $$\sum_{t=1}^\infty\lambda(1-\lambda)^{t-1}R_t$$ This differs from the discounted ...
  • 265
2 votes
0 answers
70 views

Finding optimal path in continuous time

I have the following optimal control problem $$\max_{c_t,l_t} \int_0^{\infty} [ln(c_t)+\theta ln(1-l_t)]e^{-pt}dt$$ st. $$\dot{k_t}=k_t^{1/2}l_t^{1/2}-c_t-\beta l_t$$ $$k_0>0$$ I do big part of ...
3 votes
2 answers
451 views

Dynamic programming, optimal consumption-savings (finite horizon) problem

Let $w_t$ denote a consumer's wealth at time $t$ and $c_t$, the amount she chooses to consume, so her savings exiting this time period are $w_t-c_t$. Given this savings decision, her savings $w_{t+1}$ ...
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6 votes
1 answer
227 views

Optimal price function: application of calculus of variations

The problem, I am trying to solve is based on the paper by Rochet and Vila 1994 (see literature below). In fact, it is a variant of the seminal paper of Kyle 1985 in the finance/economics literature. ...
3 votes
1 answer
205 views

Solution method in Smith (2006) A Closed Form Solution to the Ramsey Model

I am trying to understand the way Smith demonstrates that the general solution to his equation (12) is (13) (see page 6). (12) \begin{eqnarray} \dot{z} &=& (1- \alpha)\left[1-\left(\delta +...
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2 votes
1 answer
573 views

Optimal control theory: How to maximize Hamiltonian in this case?

The problem is to maximize $\int_0^1 y(t) + u(t)^2 dt$ where $y$ is state and $u$ is control. Further we have $y' = u, y(0) = 5$. I set up the Maximum Principle equations, but, in particular, I need ...
  • 21
7 votes
1 answer
238 views

An Optimal Control Model: A Ridiculous Result for a Steady State

I was experimenting with a seemingly simple optimal control problem that generates a system of differential equations. When I calculate the values of the steady state of the system I get some very ...
7 votes
1 answer
291 views

Optimization: Dynamic Programming vs Kuhn-Tucker

Considering the standard utility maximization of representative household which lives forever, one may use dynamic programming and Kuhn-Tucker in case of discrete time. For instance, one would like to ...
  • 101
6 votes
4 answers
3k views

Does control system engineering have a place in economics?

Do central banks use some form of engineering-style PID control systems/feedback loops to implement monetary policy? I'm an electrical engineering student taking microeconomics/macroeconomics and a ...
2 votes
1 answer
160 views

Analytically tractable Ramsey model: how to solve ODE for optimal trajectories

In Brunner and Strulik (2002) the authors claim, that the solution of \begin{align} \dot c &= \frac{c}{\sigma}(\alpha k^{\alpha-1} - \delta - \rho)\\ \dot k &= k^\alpha - \delta k - c \end{...
  • 1,539
4 votes
1 answer
140 views

Stability analysis and dimension of a dynamic control system

I have an optimal control problem where I have two control and one state variable. $$max\int_{0}^{\infty}\left(u\left(c\right)-P_{M}M\right)e^{-\rho t}dt\tag{1}$$ where $P_{M}$ is the unit price of ...
7 votes
1 answer
166 views

Simple Derivation of Maximum Principle

Consider the simplest problem of optimal control \begin{align} &\max_u\int^T_0{F(y,u)dt}\\ \text{s.t.} \quad&\dot y = f(y,u)\\ & y(0) = y_0\\ & y(T)~~\text{free} \end{align} ...
  • 1,539
2 votes
1 answer
82 views

Optimal Stopping

When we solve Bellman equations, I normally would think of the Blanchard Kahn technique. But in the case that I have an optimal stopping problem, or where the decision that the agent has to take is to ...
  • 1,631
8 votes
4 answers
494 views

Autonomous or non-autonomous optimal control system?

I have a following system with endogeneous discounting. $c,k$ and $h(k)$ are consumption, capital and endogeneous discount function based on physical capital. (the properties of this function are not ...
15 votes
1 answer
550 views

Stochastic growth in continuous time

Literature: See Chang (1988) for theoretical part and Achdou et al. (2015) for numerical part respectively. Model Consider the following stochastic optimal growth problem in per capita notation. \...
  • 1,539
1 vote
0 answers
57 views

discount factor on rival and non-rival goods

I am asking to myself if we must use a different discount rate on rival and non rival goods. In standard Solow-Swann model, we use generally the discount factor $\rho$. More formally, let's give the ...
3 votes
0 answers
67 views

Converging Trajectories and Sufficiency for Optimality

(The question is loosely relatet to this thread.) In the paper "Feedback Equilibria for a class of non-linear Differential Games" by Mäler et al. it is stated (p. 14) In fact sufficiency is ...
  • 1,539
20 votes
0 answers
652 views

How do I use the Malliavin calculus to solve for the optimal trading strategy in the classic Merton problem?

How do I use the Malliavin calculus to solve for the optimal trading strategy in the classic Merton problem? In Duffie's book "Dynamic Asset Pricing," he outlines the "Martingale method" of solving ...
  • 9,295
24 votes
3 answers
849 views

When Optimal Control fails (?)

In order to "ask my question", I have to solve a model first. I will omit some steps but still, this will unavoidably make this post very long -so this is also a test to see whether this community ...