Complex behavior in economics:

modeling, computing, and mastering complexity

Organizers:

Christophe Deissenberg (Aix-Marseille II), Gustav Feichtinger (Vienna),

Suresh P. Sethi (Dallas), Klaus-Peter Kistner (Bielefeld)

Local organization:

Christophe Deissenberg, Jules Nyssen

Place and date: Aix en Provence (Marseilles), France, May 4-6, 2000.

Subject: Complex behavior in economics : modeling, computing, and mastering complexity.

Motivation: The last 15 or 20 years have been marked by fundamental advances on the endogenous sources of complex behavior in micro- and macro-economics, and on the practical and methodological implications of such behavior. Theses advances are much related to the development of appropriate numerical approaches. Indeed, analytic methods allow to evidence and to apprehend complexity only in special, often artificial cases.

Different approaches are possible to model complex endogenous dynamics. In particular:

1) The complex dynamics may be generated by non-linearities in an aggregated system described by low-dimensional difference or differential equations, in the tradition of Goodwin’s endogenous cycles models.

2) The complex dynamics may result from local interactions in a disaggregated system – this is the approach followed among others within the framework of the research programs on agent based economies or on Internet economics.

Independently of its origin, there is a need to develop methods allowing to cope with economic complexity. In a nutshell, one needs to:

3) Apprehend, locally predict, learn, control, optimize complex economic systems.

Here again, mastering the complexity typically implies using numerical methods. Among these, bio-mimetic approaches (genetic algorithms, neural nets, hybrid approaches, ……) appear most promising

Thus motivated, the workshop will cover, from an interrelated perspective, three main themes:

Theme 1: Aggregated models of economic behavior

Theme 2: Disaggregated models of economic behavior and artificial societies

Theme 3: Mastering complex problems in economics, finance, and management.

The workshop is dedicated to Siegmar Stoeppler, a most estimated colleague and friend of many of us, who pioneered dynamic and disaggregated thinking in Germany until his untimely death.

Audience: The addressed topics should be of interest for theoretical and applied economists, researchers in finance, marketing, and insurance, as well as for epistemologists, mathematicians, computer scientists, specialists of numerical methods.

Papers presenting practical applications (e.g., in finance, marketing, insurance, electronic trading, etc.) are to be particularly welcomed.

Hans Amman, University of Amsterdam

Robert Axtell, The Brookings Institution

Ken Binmore, University College London

Carl Chiarella, Sidney University of Technology

Marie Cottrell, University of Paris I

Hennie Danniels, University of Tilburg

Herbert Dawid, University of Vienna

Richard Day, University of Southern California, Los Angeles

Manfred Gilli, University of Geneva

Bill Goffe, The University of Southern Mississippi

Jean-Jacques Grandmont, ENSEA

Ken Judd, The Hoover Institution

David Kendrick,University of Texas at Austin

Alan Kirman, University of Aix-Marseille III and EHESS

Albert Marcet, University Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona

Philippe Michel, University of Aix-Marseille II and Institut Universitaire de France

Kadio Nishimura, University of Kyoto

Bernard Paulré, University of Paris I

Willi Semmler, University of Bielefeld and The New School for Social Research

Richard Topol, CNRS

Alain Venditti, University of Aix-Marseille II

Bernard Walliser, Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées

Franz Wirl, Otto v. Guericke University, Magdeburg

… and the organizers!

One fully refereed book with either Springer or Kluwer, dedicated to Siegmar Stoeppler. Possibly also, special issues of the Journal of Computational Economics, and/or other international Journals. The articles will preferably have to be written in TeX.

The preprints will be available on the Web (no printed copies).

Please return the form at the bottom of this page AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

ALSO, IN YOUR OWN INTEREST, RESERVE ACCOMMODATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Student fees: 500 Frs. with lunches, 300 without.

Conference dinner extra (400 Frs – including boat trip on the Mediterranean, with visit of the unique "Calanques").

The workshop will take place in a convent 5 kms outside of Aix en Provence. ). Very simple facilities (single or double rooms), in very nice surroundings (forest, fields,…) … and remember that Aix is a most lovely place to be at that time of the year! Full board 250 Frs/day/person in addition to the conference fees (limited number of rooms, very early reservation WITH payment imperative. Note that the full pension price is much lower than what you would have to pay just for an hotel room in a middle class hotel in Aix!

Payment will possible by check in French francs or credit card.

To facilitate fast and efficient communication, we strongly suggest that all correspondence (including delivery of papers) be made by e-mail at:

deissenb@univ-aix.fr put in the Subject: COMPLEXITY

Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions concerning the workshop. If you do NOT have access to electronic mail, contact :

deissenb@univ-aix.fr

by surface mail or fax.

We will provide further information on the workshop, the social program, registration, accommodation, etc., on the web-page:

as soon as available. For the moment, if you want information about Aix and the Provence,

please look at:

Hoping to see you in Aix 2000, your

Christophe Deissenberg, Gustav Feichtinger, Suresh P. Sethi, Klaus-Peter Kistner

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If you wish to participate in the Workshop please send an email (plain text format, no html) to

cefi@univ-aix.fr Subject: COMPLEXITY

with the following body:

Name: {name}

Title: {Prof., Dr, … }

Affiliation: {institution and department}

Address: {complete mailing address}

Phone: {phone number including country code}

Fax: {fax number including country code }

Email: {email address}

Presentation of a paper: Yes/No

Tentative title: {title of the contribution}

Classification: {number, according to the list below}

Do you plan to submit your contribution for publication in the planed

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3) Mastering complex problems in economics, finance, and management.