The object of this book is to present a complete, systematic and thorough exposition of the neoclassical theory of production and distribution. Despite this basic objective, each chapter presents extensions of neoclassical theory and interpretations of established relations. The book has two distinct parts. In Part I the microeconomic theories of production, cost and derived input demand are explored in depth for both fixed-proportions and variable-proportions production functions. Special emphasis is placed upon the characteristics and implications of production functions homogeneous of degree one. Part II is devoted chiefly to the neoclassical theory of aggregate relative factor shares, the elasticity of substitution, and technological progress.
Meeting targets aimed at tackling the climate change challenge requires moving towards a low-carbon economy. These targets can only be met with major reductions in carbon emissions from the electricity sector. Written by a team of leading academics and industry experts, Delivering a Low Carbon Electricity System analyses the social, technological, economic and political issues that affect the attempt to create a low-carbon electricity sector and assesses the main instruments for achieving this aim. The book begins by looking at how low-carbon generation technologies might be added in sufficient quantity to the electricity system. Next, it examines how networks and the demand side can help to decarbonise the sector. It then highlights the role of innovation and discusses instruments for promoting technological progress. Finally, given the economic framework and technological possibilities, it presents a number of general and specific policy instruments and options for the future.
For a long time guilds have been condemned as a major obstacle to economic progress in the pre-industrial era. This re-examination of the role of guilds in the early modern European economy challenges that view by taking into account fresh research on innovation, technological change and entrepreneurship. Leading economic historians argue that industry before the Industrial Revolution was much more innovative than previous studies have allowed for and explore the different products and production techniques that were launched and developed in this period. Much of this innovation was fostered by the craft guilds that formed the backbone of industrial production before the rise of the steam engine. The book traces the manifold ways in which guilds in a variety of industries in Italy, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Britain helped to create an institutional environment conducive to technological and marketing innovations.
The twentieth century will surely be remembered as a period of remarkable calamity, vigorous intellectual activity, and striking technological progress. For the first time in history, the development
Social, economic, and technological changes disrupt many indigenous, ethnic, and rural communities even when offering progress. Under these conditions, social and psychological dysfunctions are likely
This book, first published in 2005, examines the evolution and impact of American intellectual property rights during the 'long nineteenth century'. The American experience is compared to Britain and France, countries whose institutions reflected their oligarchic origins. Instead, US patent and copyright institutions were carefully calibrated to 'promote the general welfare'. The United States created the first modern patent system and its politics were the most liberal in the world toward inventors. When markets expanded, these inventors contributed to the proliferation of new technologies and improvements, many of which proved to be valuable both in economic and technical terms. American patent and copyright institutions not only furthered economic and technological progress but also provided a conduit for the creativity and achievements of disadvantaged groups.
The technological progress in multi-carrier (MC) modulation led orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) to become an important part of beyond 3G cellular mobile communication standards, incl
In this volume, published in 2000, leading scholars analyze in a series of essays and commentaries how newly industrializing countries (NICs), particularly those in East Asia, have transformed themselves from technologically backward and poor to relatively modern and affluent economies over the past thirty years. The contributors provide interesting theoretical perspectives and offer insights into the process of technological progress at both the macro and micro levels in these countries. The essays review how firms, particularly those in electronics and automobiles, have dynamically accumulated technological capabilities at the micro level, how public policies have shaped the process of technological progress at the national level, and what problems some of these countries face today at both levels. In addition, the volume provides a comparison of East Asian NIC's with their Latin American counterparts. The discussion also offers useful lessons for policies in other developing countri
This book, first published in 2005, examines the evolution and impact of American intellectual property rights during the 'long nineteenth century'. The American experience is compared to Britain and France, countries whose institutions reflected their oligarchic origins. Instead, US patent and copyright institutions were carefully calibrated to 'promote the general welfare'. The United States created the first modern patent system and its politics were the most liberal in the world toward inventors. When markets expanded, these inventors contributed to the proliferation of new technologies and improvements, many of which proved to be valuable both in economic and technical terms. American patent and copyright institutions not only furthered economic and technological progress but also provided a conduit for the creativity and achievements of disadvantaged groups.
For a long time guilds have been condemned as a major obstacle to economic progress in the pre-industrial era. This re-examination of the role of guilds in the early modern European economy challenges that view by taking into account fresh research on innovation, technological change and entrepreneurship. Leading economic historians argue that industry before the Industrial Revolution was much more innovative than previous studies have allowed for and explore the different products and production techniques that were launched and developed in this period. Much of this innovation was fostered by the craft guilds that formed the backbone of industrial production before the rise of the steam engine. The book traces the manifold ways in which guilds in a variety of industries in Italy, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Britain helped to create an institutional environment conducive to technological and marketing innovations.
Approaching post-World War II poetry from a postmodern critical perspective, this study challenges the prevailing assumption that experimental forms signify political opposition while traditional forms are politically conservative. Such essentialist alignments of forms with extra-formal values, and the oppositional framework of innovation versus conservation that they yield, reflect modernist biases inappropriate for reading postwar poetry. Biasing defines postmodern poetry as a break with modernism's valorization of technique and its implicit collusion with technological progress. She shows that four major postwar poets - Frank O'Hara, Elizabeth Bishop, John Ashbery and James Merrill (two traditional and two experimental) - cannot be read as politically conservative because formally traditional or as culturally oppositional because formally experimental. All of these poets acknowledge that no one form is more natural than another, and no given form grants them a superior position for
This book identifies the strategic changes in economic organisation, industrial structure and technological progress associated with the industrial revolution, which took place in Britain over the century 1750–1850 and which marked a watershed in world economic development - the beginnings of modern economic growth for developed countries and an example of spontaneous industrialisation for third world countries. The book assesses both starting point and achievement, analyses the substance of economic transformation and evaluates the role of government policy and institutional change in retarding or accelerating economic development. The second edition updates and expands the first by taking into account (and giving bibliographical references for) major topical knowledge and ideas. This work has proved a successful textbook for sixth form students as well as undergraduate students in faculties of economics, history, geography or social science generally. It is, however, sufficiently non
Approaching post-World War II poetry from a postmodern critical perspective, this study challenges the prevailing assumption that experimental forms signify political opposition while traditional forms are politically conservative. Such essentialist alignments of forms with extra-formal values, and the oppositional framework of innovation versus conservation that they yield, reflect modernist biases inappropriate for reading postwar poetry. Biasing defines postmodern poetry as a break with modernism's valorization of technique and its implicit collusion with technological progress. She shows that four major postwar poets - Frank O'Hara, Elizabeth Bishop, John Ashbery and James Merrill (two traditional and two experimental) - cannot be read as politically conservative because formally traditional or as culturally oppositional because formally experimental. All of these poets acknowledge that no one form is more natural than another, and no given form grants them a superior position for
This book describes recent progress in enzyme-driven green syntheses of industrially important molecules. The first three introductory chapters overview recent technological advances in enzymes and ce
Hall (history, Central Michigan U.) explores movies, television, rock and roll music, and sports during the Vietnam era, moving from the 1950s through the technological progress and social changes of
Writing and European Thought 1600–1830 argues for the central importance of writing to conceptions of language, technological progress, and Western civilization during the early modern era. Attitudes to the written language changed radically between the late Renaissance and Romanticism, and Nicholas Hudson traces the development of thought about language during this period, challenging some central assumptions of modern historical scholarship. He asserts that European thinkers have not been uniformly 'logocentric', and he questions the assumption that the rise of print and literacy produced a more visually oriented culture. Through detailed readings of major writers, Hudson shows how writing became the emblem of the superiority of European culture, and how, with the expansion of print culture, European intellectuals became more aware of the virtues of 'orality' and the deficiencies of literate society.
A sequel to Global Trade Analysis: Modeling and Applications (Cambridge University Press, 1996, edited by Thomas W. Hertel), this new volume presents the technical aspects of the Global Trade Analysis Program's global dynamic framework (GDyn) and its applications within important global policy issues. The book covers a diverse set of topics including trade reform, growth, investment, technology, demographic change and the environment. Environmental issues are particularly well-suited for analysis with GDyn, and this volume covers its uses with climate change, resource use and technological progress in agriculture. Other applications presented in the book focus on integration issues such as rules governing foreign investment, e-commerce regulations, trade in services, harmonization of technical standards, sanitary and photo-sanitary regulations, streamlining of customs procedures, and demographic change and migration.
For 80 years, mathematics has driven fundamental innovation in computing and communications. This timely book provides a panorama of some recent ideas in mathematics and how they will drive continued innovation in computing, communications and AI in the coming years. It provides a unique insight into how the new techniques that are being developed can be used to provide theoretical foundations for technological progress, just as mathematics was used in earlier times by Turing, von Neumann, Shannon and others. Edited by leading researchers in the field, chapters cover the application of new mathematics in computer architecture, software verification, quantum computing, compressed sensing, networking, Bayesian inference, machine learning, reinforcement learning and many other areas.
Recently, technological progress and the rise of DNA barcoding efforts have led to a significant increase in the availability of molecular datasets on intraspecific variability. Carcinologists and oth
Progress in nanoscale engineering, as well as an improved understanding of the physical phenomena at the nanometer scale, have contributed to the rapid development of novel nanostructured semiconducting materials and nanodevices. Using new approaches, semiconductor structures can be fabricated with sub-nanometer accuracy and precisely controlled electronic and optical properties. The immense technological potential and new exciting physics have stimulated interest in semiconductor nanostructures over several years. This book brings together a single comprehensive overview of recent progress and future directions in nanoscale semiconductor research. Fields ranging from materials science to physics, chemistry, electrical and microelectronic engineering, circuit design, and more, are represented. Topics include: quantum dot theory, growth and optics; single quantum dot spectroscopy; charge and spin; Si/Ge quantum dot structures; bio-quantum dots; electric force microscopy and charge injec
