A Model Illustrating Multiple Interest Rate Analysis (MIRA)

Multiple interest rate analysis (MIRA) is the study of all interest rate solutions to the time value of money (TVM) equation. These solutions include not only the orthodox solution produced by a financial calculator or spreadsheet but also the unorthodox solutions that a typical financial calculator or spreadsheet will not calculate because they are either complex-valued or highly negative. Economic theorists have largely ignored the unorthodox solutions for centuries, believing them to be devoid of use or meaning. MIRA demonstrates that this belief is incorrect. This computable document contains a model, written in Mathematica, demonstrating MIRA in the context of just one of its many applications, namely, investment analysis. A project or investment containing cash flows occurring over n periods possesses n solutions for the internal rate of return. Each internal rate of return can be expressed as a mark-up over the cost of capital. A novel, dual equation for NPV is exhibited in which NPV per initially invested dollar is equal to the product of all n mark-ups. This product divides into the orthodox mark-up, the meaning of which is clear, and the product of the (n-1) unorthodox mark-ups, the meaning of which is not immediately apparent. The unorthodox product is demonstrated to be a statistic (duration) capturing structure in the cash flows.The model can be live-streamed, the calculations being done remotely, or the model and its code can be downloaded and run locally in Mathematica or Wolfram CDF Player