Scandinavian Working Papers in Economics
Working Papers in Economics,
University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics
No 633: The Pioneers’ Arguments for Formulating Economic Problems Mathematically
Bo Sandelin ()
Additional contact information
Bo Sandelin: Department of Economics, School of Business, Economics and Law, Göteborg University, Postal: P.O Box 640, SE 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
Abstract: The nineteenth century pioneers in formulating economic problems mathematically often felt that they needed to explain their reasons for using mathematics. We will look at the arguments of Cournot, Thünen, Gossen, Jevons, Walras, Edgeworth, Marshall, Fisher, Wicksell, and Pareto. Three main arguments can be found: First, mathematics provides greater clarity of presentation, secondly, economics is fundamentally similar to the mathematical natural sciences, especially physics, and third, mathematics can help economists themselves to control the reasoning in their analysis.
Keywords: History of economic thought; economic methodology; mathematics; marginalism
17 pages, October 2015
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