Adaptive Microfoundations for Emergent Macroeconomics

In this paper we present the basics of a research program aimed at providing microfoundations to macroeconomic theory on the basis of computational agent-based adaptive descriptions of individual behavior. To exemplify our proposal, a simple prototype model of decentralized multi-market transactions is offered. We show that a very simple agent-based computational laboratory can challenge more structured Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium models in mimicking comovements over the business cycle. Eastern Economic Journal (2008) 34, 441–463. doi:10.1057/eej.2008.27