Modeling Nonlinear Phenomena – What is “X”? Many of us grew up hating word problems in algebra. (Some of us found them interesting, sometimes easy, and sometimes fun. We were the minority.) For most of us, even if we understood the mathematical formulas, there was a big “gap” in our understanding and intuition when it came to applying the formulas to some real-world situation. In the problem, we’d be given a set of statements, and then told to find “something.”…
Continuing with Beinhocker’s Origin of Wealth, it is important to distinguish carefully between some of the ideas that Beinhocker is expounding. While overall, he is doing a good job of bringing in many related thoughts and ideas, there is a slight tendency towards “mushing.” In that note, I’d like to suggest that we discern carefully between ideas involving utility (Origins, hardcover; pp. 34 & 37), and equilibrium. On pg. 34, Beinhocker begins a discussion of how utility is an underlying…
Over the last few months, questions of not only wealth and finances, but the underpinnings of our entire financial structure, have become paramount in many of our minds. We — that usually means you and me — and right now means the world collectively — have largely misunderstood the world’s financial structure over recent years. (Those who HAVE accurately understood are not only more secure, but substantially richer by now.) Most of us are current on “what went wrong.” Most…