Dear colleagues, The Department of Economics cordially invites you to the WU Economic Research Seminar on Wednesday, October 13th, with Lawrence E. Blume (Cornell University) on "Poverty Traps in Markov Models of the Evolution of Wealth" Abstract: Poverty trap models are dynamical systems with more than one attractor. Similar dynamical systems arise in optimal growth and macroeconomic models. These systems are often studied empirically by ad hoc methods relying on intuition from deterministic systems, such as looking for multiple peaks in the stationary distribution of states. We develop Markov wealth processes in which parents' investments in children stochastically determine children's wealth, and consequently their own investment choices. We show that, relative to a zero-shock process, some of the multiple attractors are less fragile than are others, and that their presence dominates the stationary behavior of the wealth distribution. Typically, mass accumulates around attractors. An only slightly stochastically perturbed deterministic system will have an invariant distribution which puts close to probability 1 on a single steady state rather than having significant mass distributed among several attractors. We also examine how policy affects the shape of the invariant distribution. Date: Wednesday, October 13th Time: 4.30 to 6 pm (CET) Location: building D4, ground floor, room D4.0.039 The following COVID-19-related regulations apply to all events at the WU campus need to be fulfilled for attending the research seminar: 3G proof and controls * You should only attend classroom units if you are not ill. * To participate in presence units, you have to show a 3G certificate (Tested, Vaccinated, Convalescent) upon request. You can find details regarding certificates and their validity here<https://learn.wu.ac.at/open/distanzlehre/3gproof> * Please arrive on campus at least 30-45 minutes before the start of the course. To ensure that the checks can be carried out as quickly and smoothly as possible, please always bring your certificate with you on paper and have your photo ID ready as well. If necessary, please also follow the on-site guiding system. * Checks may take place in front of the building or at the beginning of the course and will be carried out by WU staff and WU security personnel. Compulsory attendance, WU check-in and contact tracing * Please use the WU check-in (checkin.wu.ac.a<http://checkin.wu.ac.a>t) at the beginning of each course unit and during exams and enter your seat number. You can find the number right on the coloured spot on the desk. Registering your attendance and documenting your seat number are the basis for (official) contact tracing; providing incorrect information can have unpleasant consequences (quarantine) for you. * In any case, please comply with the attendance regulations for the course, which were communicated in advance in the eVVZ. In case you do not fulfil the attendance obligation without a provable important reason for your absence(s) (i.e. events that you cannot directly influence), you cannot be assessed positively. * Currently, there is no obligation to wear a mouth-nose mask during courses and examinations. If you wish to wear an MNS voluntarily, you might have to take it off briefly for an identity check. With best regards, Harald Oberhofer --- Univ.-Prof. Dr. Harald Oberhofer Department of Economics WU Vienna University of Economics and Business Phone: +43/1/31336-4984 Fax: +43/1/31336-4984 Email: harald.oberhofer@wu.ac.at<mailto:harald.oberhofer@wu.ac.at> Webpage: https://www.wu.ac.at/ie/mitarbeiter/harald-oberhofer/ Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO) Phone: +43/1/7982601-468 Fax: +43/1/7989386 Email: harald.oberhofer@wifo.ac.at<mailto:harald.oberhofer@wifo.ac.at> Webpage: http://www.wifo.ac.at/harald_oberhofer