Questions tagged [dynamic-programming]

94 questions
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Optimal stopping (reference request)

I am interested in the following optimal stopping problem: On each day, a number $a_i$ is drawn from a (possibly fixed) distribution. I can either stop now, getting a payoff of $a_i$, or wait for a later draw. In principle, this could go on…
afreelunch
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How can I show that the optimal savings are 0 for all time periods?

Consider an infinitely-lived agent’s consumption-saving problem. The agent receives $e > 0$ units of endowment every period, can save via an asset with constant return $R$. The agent is endowed with $s_0$ units of the asset initially. At period $t$,…
Ludwig Gershwin
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3
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In Blackwell's condition for T to be a contraction mapping, we require that satisfies discounting. What is the intuition of discounting?

The discounting condition is as follow: There exists some $\beta \in (0, 1)$ such that $[T(f + a)](x) ≤ (T f)(x) + βa$, for all $f ∈ B(X), a ≥ 0, x ∈ X$. While the monotonicity condition makes sense, I can't give a nice meaning to this property.
Tecon
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Taking limit of a sequence

I am given a following dynamic programming problem; $$ \sup_{k_{t+1}}\sum_{t=0}^{t=\infty}\delta^t(ak_t-\frac{b}{2}k_t^2-\frac{c}{2}(k_{t+1}-k_t)^2) $$ where $f(k_t) = ak_t-\frac{b}{2}k_t^2$ is the production function of a firm and…
Sher Afghan
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Does this contraction mapping map strictly concave functions into strictly concave functions?

Consider the following functional equation: $$TV(k)=\max[W(k),\beta V(f(k))]$$ where $\beta\in (0,1)$, $W(k)$ is continuous, increasing, bounded, and strictly concave function defined on $[0,\bar{k}]$, and $f(k)$ is a continuous, increasing, and…
user45416
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Advantages of using Bellman equations

Suppose we wish to solve a simple infinite horizon cake eating problem, such that: $$ \max_{\left\{ c_{t}\right\} _{t=0}^{\infty}}\sum_{t}^{\infty}\beta^{t}u\left(c_{t}\right) $$ subject to: $$ c_{t}+a_{t+1}=a_{t} $$ where $a_{t}$ is the total…
Kwame Brown
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Dynamic programming with housing consumption and labor

I try to solve the following maximization problem of a representative household with dynamic programming. However, my last result is not similar to the solution. Could any one help me? $$\max\limits_{C_{t},H_t,N_t} E_0 \sum_{t=0}^{\infty}…
DB225681
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How can I show that the policy function is non-decreasing?

Consider the following functional equation: $$V(x)=\max_{y\in [0,f(x)]}[u(f(x)-y)+\beta V(y)]$$ where $u$ is continuous, strictly increasing, and strictly concave; the function $f$ is continuous and strictly increasing, and $\beta\in (0,1)$. Let…
Ludwig Gershwin
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Technical question about grid setting in dynamic programming models

I already know that expanding the grids of state variables around the steady states works, however in my toy model it's hard to get steady states analytically, so I cannot determine the boundary for variables. Is there any other method to set the…
Barry
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