Adaptive Behavior, Market Processes and the Computable Approach

Economies are evolving, complex, adaptive dynamic systems. Yet, economics is committed to a methodology that is quite different from that of other fields, such as ecology or brain research or computer science, in which such systems are studied. Computable economics attempts to reorient economics so as to make feasible a more fruitful interaction with these other fields. A number of problems conveniently ignored in standard theory can be tackled by computer simulation. One may model economic processes rather than just their presumed end-states, for example, and be explicit about the network structure of market interactions. The modelling of trading processes raises a number of problems relating to the treatment of time in economic theory. One particular problem, the 'telescoping' of temporal perspective observed in high inflations, is discussed at length. The explanation previously offered by Maurice Allais is considered and an alternative one suggested.