Utility Maximization, Choice and Preference

Utility Maximization, Choice and Preference

Author: Fuad Aleskerov

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2013-04-18

Total Pages: 226

ISBN-13: 3662049929

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The utility maximization paradigm forms the basis of many economic, psychological, cognitive and behavioral models. However, numerous examples have revealed the deficiencies of the concept. This book helps to overcome those deficiencies by taking into account insensitivity of measurement threshold and context of choice. The second edition has been updated to include the most recent developments and a new chapter on classic and new results for infinite sets.


Book Synopsis Utility Maximization, Choice and Preference by : Fuad Aleskerov

Download or read book Utility Maximization, Choice and Preference written by Fuad Aleskerov and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-04-18 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The utility maximization paradigm forms the basis of many economic, psychological, cognitive and behavioral models. However, numerous examples have revealed the deficiencies of the concept. This book helps to overcome those deficiencies by taking into account insensitivity of measurement threshold and context of choice. The second edition has been updated to include the most recent developments and a new chapter on classic and new results for infinite sets.


Utility Maximization Problem

Utility Maximization Problem

Author: Fouad Sabry

Publisher: One Billion Knowledgeable

Published: 2024-02-06

Total Pages: 245

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

What is Utility Maximization Problem Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, both utilitarian philosophers, were the ones who initially devised the concept of utility maximization. The utility maximization problem is a challenge that consumers encounter in the field of microeconomics. This problem pertains to the question, "How should I spend my money in order to maximize my utility?" It falls within the category of optimal choice problems. It is the process of deciding how much of each available commodity or service to consume, taking into account a limitation on overall spending (income), the cost of the goods, and the preferences of the individual. How you will benefit (I) Insights, and validations about the following topics: Chapter 1: Utility maximization problem Chapter 2: Utility Chapter 3: Indifference curve Chapter 4: Consumer choice Chapter 5: Budget constraint Chapter 6: Income-consumption curve Chapter 7: Marshallian demand function Chapter 8: Arrow-Debreu model Chapter 9: Fundamental theorems of welfare economics Chapter 10: Revealed preference Chapter 11: Indirect utility function Chapter 12: Hicksian demand function Chapter 13: Corner solution Chapter 14: Local nonsatiation Chapter 15: Sonnenschein-Mantel-Debreu theorem Chapter 16: Competitive equilibrium Chapter 17: Quasilinear utility Chapter 18: Preference (economics) Chapter 19: Fair item allocation Chapter 20: Dixit-Stiglitz model Chapter 21: Abstract economy (II) Answering the public top questions about utility maximization problem. (III) Real world examples for the usage of utility maximization problem in many fields. Who this book is for Professionals, undergraduate and graduate students, enthusiasts, hobbyists, and those who want to go beyond basic knowledge or information for any kind of Utility Maximization Problem.


Book Synopsis Utility Maximization Problem by : Fouad Sabry

Download or read book Utility Maximization Problem written by Fouad Sabry and published by One Billion Knowledgeable. This book was released on 2024-02-06 with total page 245 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What is Utility Maximization Problem Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, both utilitarian philosophers, were the ones who initially devised the concept of utility maximization. The utility maximization problem is a challenge that consumers encounter in the field of microeconomics. This problem pertains to the question, "How should I spend my money in order to maximize my utility?" It falls within the category of optimal choice problems. It is the process of deciding how much of each available commodity or service to consume, taking into account a limitation on overall spending (income), the cost of the goods, and the preferences of the individual. How you will benefit (I) Insights, and validations about the following topics: Chapter 1: Utility maximization problem Chapter 2: Utility Chapter 3: Indifference curve Chapter 4: Consumer choice Chapter 5: Budget constraint Chapter 6: Income-consumption curve Chapter 7: Marshallian demand function Chapter 8: Arrow-Debreu model Chapter 9: Fundamental theorems of welfare economics Chapter 10: Revealed preference Chapter 11: Indirect utility function Chapter 12: Hicksian demand function Chapter 13: Corner solution Chapter 14: Local nonsatiation Chapter 15: Sonnenschein-Mantel-Debreu theorem Chapter 16: Competitive equilibrium Chapter 17: Quasilinear utility Chapter 18: Preference (economics) Chapter 19: Fair item allocation Chapter 20: Dixit-Stiglitz model Chapter 21: Abstract economy (II) Answering the public top questions about utility maximization problem. (III) Real world examples for the usage of utility maximization problem in many fields. Who this book is for Professionals, undergraduate and graduate students, enthusiasts, hobbyists, and those who want to go beyond basic knowledge or information for any kind of Utility Maximization Problem.


Utility

Utility

Author: Fouad Sabry

Publisher: One Billion Knowledgeable

Published: 2024-02-05

Total Pages: 252

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

What is Utility In economics, utility is a measure of the satisfaction that a certain person has from a certain state of the world. Over time, the term has been used in two different meanings.The term was introduced initially as a measure of pleasure or happiness as part of the theory of utilitarianism, by moral philosophers such as Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. In this context, the utilities of different people in the same state are comparable. In particular, one can compute the sum of all peoples' utilities in each state, and choose the state in which the sum is maximized; this leads to the utilitarian rule of social choice.The term has been adapted and reapplied within neoclassical economics, which dominates modern economic theory, as a representation of a consumer's ordinal preferences over a choice set. In this context, utility is not comparable across different consumers or possessing a cardinal interpretation. In fact, every monotone transformation of a utility function represents the same ordinal ranking over the alternatives, and thus is equivalent from the neoclassical economics point of view. In game theory, too, utility is used in the same meaning. This concept of utility is personal and based on choice rather than on pleasure received, and so requires fewer behavioral assumptions than the original concept. How you will benefit (I) Insights, and validations about the following topics: Chapter 1: Utility Chapter 2: Indifference curve Chapter 3: Arrow's impossibility theorem Chapter 4: Social welfare function Chapter 5: Consumer choice Chapter 6: Welfare economics Chapter 7: Expected utility hypothesis Chapter 8: Utility maximization problem Chapter 9: Marshallian demand function Chapter 10: Ordinal utility Chapter 11: Cardinal utility Chapter 12: Revealed preference Chapter 13: Constant elasticity of substitution Chapter 14: Quasilinear utility Chapter 15: Von Neumann-Morgenstern utility theorem Chapter 16: Preference (economics) Chapter 17: Preference Chapter 18: Debreu's representation theorems Chapter 19: Multi-attribute utility Chapter 20: Dichotomous preferences Chapter 21: Responsive set extension (II) Answering the public top questions about utility. (III) Real world examples for the usage of utility in many fields. Who this book is for Professionals, undergraduate and graduate students, enthusiasts, hobbyists, and those who want to go beyond basic knowledge or information for any kind of Utility.


Book Synopsis Utility by : Fouad Sabry

Download or read book Utility written by Fouad Sabry and published by One Billion Knowledgeable. This book was released on 2024-02-05 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What is Utility In economics, utility is a measure of the satisfaction that a certain person has from a certain state of the world. Over time, the term has been used in two different meanings.The term was introduced initially as a measure of pleasure or happiness as part of the theory of utilitarianism, by moral philosophers such as Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. In this context, the utilities of different people in the same state are comparable. In particular, one can compute the sum of all peoples' utilities in each state, and choose the state in which the sum is maximized; this leads to the utilitarian rule of social choice.The term has been adapted and reapplied within neoclassical economics, which dominates modern economic theory, as a representation of a consumer's ordinal preferences over a choice set. In this context, utility is not comparable across different consumers or possessing a cardinal interpretation. In fact, every monotone transformation of a utility function represents the same ordinal ranking over the alternatives, and thus is equivalent from the neoclassical economics point of view. In game theory, too, utility is used in the same meaning. This concept of utility is personal and based on choice rather than on pleasure received, and so requires fewer behavioral assumptions than the original concept. How you will benefit (I) Insights, and validations about the following topics: Chapter 1: Utility Chapter 2: Indifference curve Chapter 3: Arrow's impossibility theorem Chapter 4: Social welfare function Chapter 5: Consumer choice Chapter 6: Welfare economics Chapter 7: Expected utility hypothesis Chapter 8: Utility maximization problem Chapter 9: Marshallian demand function Chapter 10: Ordinal utility Chapter 11: Cardinal utility Chapter 12: Revealed preference Chapter 13: Constant elasticity of substitution Chapter 14: Quasilinear utility Chapter 15: Von Neumann-Morgenstern utility theorem Chapter 16: Preference (economics) Chapter 17: Preference Chapter 18: Debreu's representation theorems Chapter 19: Multi-attribute utility Chapter 20: Dichotomous preferences Chapter 21: Responsive set extension (II) Answering the public top questions about utility. (III) Real world examples for the usage of utility in many fields. Who this book is for Professionals, undergraduate and graduate students, enthusiasts, hobbyists, and those who want to go beyond basic knowledge or information for any kind of Utility.


Preference Economics

Preference Economics

Author: Fouad Sabry

Publisher: One Billion Knowledgeable

Published: 2024-01-07

Total Pages: 245

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

What is Preference Economics In economics and other social sciences, the term "preference" refers to the order in which an agent ranks options based on their relative usefulness, often with the goal of finding the "optimal choice." Generally speaking, preferences are assessments that are concerned with considerations of value and are often related to practical reasoning. A person's preferences are not influenced by factors like as the costs of the commodities, their availability, or their own personal income; rather, they are decided solely by the individual's tastes, requirements, and other factors. Classical economics, on the other hand, relies on the assumption that individuals behave in their own best (rational) interest. Taking this scenario into consideration, logic would require that when an individual is presented with a choice, they will choose the alternative that optimizes their own self-interest. Preferences, on the other hand, are not necessarily transferable. This is due to the fact that actual people are not always rational, and also because preferences might form cycles under some circumstances, in which case there is no clearly defined best decision. The Efron dice are a good illustration of this. How you will benefit (I) Insights, and validations about the following topics: Chapter 1: Preference (economics) Chapter 2: Utility Chapter 3: Indifference curve Chapter 4: Arrow's impossibility theorem Chapter 5: Social welfare function Chapter 6: Consumer choice Chapter 7: Budget constraint Chapter 8: Marginal rate of substitution Chapter 9: Loss function Chapter 10: Expected utility hypothesis Chapter 11: Utility maximization problem Chapter 12: Ordinal utility Chapter 13: Cardinal utility Chapter 14: Revealed preference Chapter 15: Sonnenschein-Mantel-Debreu theorem Chapter 16: Quasilinear utility Chapter 17: Utility-possibility frontier Chapter 18: Von Neumann-Morgenstern utility theorem Chapter 19: Preference Chapter 20: Debreu's representation theorems Chapter 21: Overtaking criterion (II) Answering the public top questions about preference economics. (III) Real world examples for the usage of preference economics in many fields. Who this book is for Professionals, undergraduate and graduate students, enthusiasts, hobbyists, and those who want to go beyond basic knowledge or information for any kind of preference economics.


Book Synopsis Preference Economics by : Fouad Sabry

Download or read book Preference Economics written by Fouad Sabry and published by One Billion Knowledgeable. This book was released on 2024-01-07 with total page 245 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What is Preference Economics In economics and other social sciences, the term "preference" refers to the order in which an agent ranks options based on their relative usefulness, often with the goal of finding the "optimal choice." Generally speaking, preferences are assessments that are concerned with considerations of value and are often related to practical reasoning. A person's preferences are not influenced by factors like as the costs of the commodities, their availability, or their own personal income; rather, they are decided solely by the individual's tastes, requirements, and other factors. Classical economics, on the other hand, relies on the assumption that individuals behave in their own best (rational) interest. Taking this scenario into consideration, logic would require that when an individual is presented with a choice, they will choose the alternative that optimizes their own self-interest. Preferences, on the other hand, are not necessarily transferable. This is due to the fact that actual people are not always rational, and also because preferences might form cycles under some circumstances, in which case there is no clearly defined best decision. The Efron dice are a good illustration of this. How you will benefit (I) Insights, and validations about the following topics: Chapter 1: Preference (economics) Chapter 2: Utility Chapter 3: Indifference curve Chapter 4: Arrow's impossibility theorem Chapter 5: Social welfare function Chapter 6: Consumer choice Chapter 7: Budget constraint Chapter 8: Marginal rate of substitution Chapter 9: Loss function Chapter 10: Expected utility hypothesis Chapter 11: Utility maximization problem Chapter 12: Ordinal utility Chapter 13: Cardinal utility Chapter 14: Revealed preference Chapter 15: Sonnenschein-Mantel-Debreu theorem Chapter 16: Quasilinear utility Chapter 17: Utility-possibility frontier Chapter 18: Von Neumann-Morgenstern utility theorem Chapter 19: Preference Chapter 20: Debreu's representation theorems Chapter 21: Overtaking criterion (II) Answering the public top questions about preference economics. (III) Real world examples for the usage of preference economics in many fields. Who this book is for Professionals, undergraduate and graduate students, enthusiasts, hobbyists, and those who want to go beyond basic knowledge or information for any kind of preference economics.


Intermediate Microeconomics

Intermediate Microeconomics

Author: Patrick M. Emerson

Publisher:

Published: 2019

Total Pages:

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK


Book Synopsis Intermediate Microeconomics by : Patrick M. Emerson

Download or read book Intermediate Microeconomics written by Patrick M. Emerson and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


Consumer Choice

Consumer Choice

Author: Fouad Sabry

Publisher: One Billion Knowledgeable

Published: 2024-02-12

Total Pages: 271

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

What is Consumer Choice The theory of consumer choice is the branch of microeconomics that relates preferences to consumption expenditures and to consumer demand curves. It analyzes how consumers maximize the desirability of their consumption, by maximizing utility subject to a consumer budget constraint.Factors influencing consumers' evaluation of the utility of goods include: income level, cultural factors, product information and physio-psychological factors. How you will benefit (I) Insights, and validations about the following topics: Chapter 1: Consumer choice Chapter 2: Utility Chapter 3: Indifference curve Chapter 4: Budget constraint Chapter 5: Substitute good Chapter 6: Marginal rate of substitution Chapter 7: Income-consumption curve Chapter 8: Substitution effect Chapter 9: Law of demand Chapter 10: Utility maximization problem Chapter 11: Marshallian demand function Chapter 12: Revealed preference Chapter 13: Hicksian demand function Chapter 14: Corner solution Chapter 15: Relative price Chapter 16: Local nonsatiation Chapter 17: Quasilinear utility Chapter 18: Homothetic preferences Chapter 19: Preference (economics) Chapter 20: Robinson Crusoe economy Chapter 21: Linear utility (II) Answering the public top questions about consumer choice. (III) Real world examples for the usage of consumer choice in many fields. Who this book is for Professionals, undergraduate and graduate students, enthusiasts, hobbyists, and those who want to go beyond basic knowledge or information for any kind of Consumer Choice.


Book Synopsis Consumer Choice by : Fouad Sabry

Download or read book Consumer Choice written by Fouad Sabry and published by One Billion Knowledgeable. This book was released on 2024-02-12 with total page 271 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What is Consumer Choice The theory of consumer choice is the branch of microeconomics that relates preferences to consumption expenditures and to consumer demand curves. It analyzes how consumers maximize the desirability of their consumption, by maximizing utility subject to a consumer budget constraint.Factors influencing consumers' evaluation of the utility of goods include: income level, cultural factors, product information and physio-psychological factors. How you will benefit (I) Insights, and validations about the following topics: Chapter 1: Consumer choice Chapter 2: Utility Chapter 3: Indifference curve Chapter 4: Budget constraint Chapter 5: Substitute good Chapter 6: Marginal rate of substitution Chapter 7: Income-consumption curve Chapter 8: Substitution effect Chapter 9: Law of demand Chapter 10: Utility maximization problem Chapter 11: Marshallian demand function Chapter 12: Revealed preference Chapter 13: Hicksian demand function Chapter 14: Corner solution Chapter 15: Relative price Chapter 16: Local nonsatiation Chapter 17: Quasilinear utility Chapter 18: Homothetic preferences Chapter 19: Preference (economics) Chapter 20: Robinson Crusoe economy Chapter 21: Linear utility (II) Answering the public top questions about consumer choice. (III) Real world examples for the usage of consumer choice in many fields. Who this book is for Professionals, undergraduate and graduate students, enthusiasts, hobbyists, and those who want to go beyond basic knowledge or information for any kind of Consumer Choice.


Revealed Preference Theory

Revealed Preference Theory

Author: Christopher P. Chambers

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2016-01-05

Total Pages: 241

ISBN-13: 1107087805

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The theory of revealed preference has a long, distinguished tradition in economics but lacked a systematic presentation of the theory until now. This book deals with basic questions in economic theory and studies situations in which empirical observations are consistent or inconsistent with some of the best known economic theories.


Book Synopsis Revealed Preference Theory by : Christopher P. Chambers

Download or read book Revealed Preference Theory written by Christopher P. Chambers and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2016-01-05 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The theory of revealed preference has a long, distinguished tradition in economics but lacked a systematic presentation of the theory until now. This book deals with basic questions in economic theory and studies situations in which empirical observations are consistent or inconsistent with some of the best known economic theories.


Choice Over Time

Choice Over Time

Author: George Loewenstein

Publisher: Russell Sage Foundation

Published: 1992-10-27

Total Pages: 424

ISBN-13: 1610443659

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Many of our most urgent national problems suggest a widespread lack of concern for the future. Alarming economic conditions, such as low national savings rates, declining corporate investment in long-term capital projects, and ballooning private and public debt are matched by such social ills as diminished educational achievement, environmental degradation, and high rates of infant mortality, crime, and teenage pregnancy. At the heart of all these troubles lies an important behavioral phenomenon: in the role of consumer, manager, voter, student, or parent, many Americans choose inferior but immediate rewards over greater long-term benefits. Choice Over Time offers a rich sampling of original research on intertemporal choice—how and why people decide between immediate and delayed consequences—from a broad range of theoretical and methodological perspectives in philosophy, political science, psychology, and economics. George Loewenstein, Jon Elster, and their distinguished colleagues review existing theories and forge new approaches to understanding significant questions: Why do people seem to "discount" future benefits? Do individuals use the same decision-making strategy in all aspects of their lives? What part is played by situational factors such as the certainty of delayed consequences? How are decisions affected by personal factors such as willpower and taste? In addressing these issues, the contributors to Choice Over Time address many social, economic, psychological, and personal time problems. Their work demonstrates the predictive power of short-term preferences in behavior as varied as addiction and phobia, the effect of prices on consumption, and the dramatic rise in debt and decline in savings. Choice Over Time provides an essential source for the most recent research and theory on intertemporal choice, offering new models for time preference patterns—and their aberrations—and presenting a diversity of potential solutions to the problem of "temporal myopia."


Book Synopsis Choice Over Time by : George Loewenstein

Download or read book Choice Over Time written by George Loewenstein and published by Russell Sage Foundation. This book was released on 1992-10-27 with total page 424 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many of our most urgent national problems suggest a widespread lack of concern for the future. Alarming economic conditions, such as low national savings rates, declining corporate investment in long-term capital projects, and ballooning private and public debt are matched by such social ills as diminished educational achievement, environmental degradation, and high rates of infant mortality, crime, and teenage pregnancy. At the heart of all these troubles lies an important behavioral phenomenon: in the role of consumer, manager, voter, student, or parent, many Americans choose inferior but immediate rewards over greater long-term benefits. Choice Over Time offers a rich sampling of original research on intertemporal choice—how and why people decide between immediate and delayed consequences—from a broad range of theoretical and methodological perspectives in philosophy, political science, psychology, and economics. George Loewenstein, Jon Elster, and their distinguished colleagues review existing theories and forge new approaches to understanding significant questions: Why do people seem to "discount" future benefits? Do individuals use the same decision-making strategy in all aspects of their lives? What part is played by situational factors such as the certainty of delayed consequences? How are decisions affected by personal factors such as willpower and taste? In addressing these issues, the contributors to Choice Over Time address many social, economic, psychological, and personal time problems. Their work demonstrates the predictive power of short-term preferences in behavior as varied as addiction and phobia, the effect of prices on consumption, and the dramatic rise in debt and decline in savings. Choice Over Time provides an essential source for the most recent research and theory on intertemporal choice, offering new models for time preference patterns—and their aberrations—and presenting a diversity of potential solutions to the problem of "temporal myopia."


Handbook of Utility Theory

Handbook of Utility Theory

Author: Salvador Barbera

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 714

ISBN-13: 9780792381747

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The standard rationality hypothesis implies that behaviour can be represented as the maximization of a suitably restricted utility function. This hypothesis lies at the heart of a large body of recent work in economics, of course, but also in political science, ethics, and other major branches of social sciences. Though the utility maximization hypothesis is venerable, it remains an area of active research. Moreover, some fundamental conceptual problems remain unresolved, or at best have resolutions that are too recent to have achieved widespread understanding among social scientists. The main purpose of the Handbook of Utility Theory is to make recent developments in the area more accessible. The editors selected a number of specific topics, and invited contributions from researchers whose work had come to their attention. Therefore, the list of topics and contributions is largely the editors' responsibility. Each contributor's chapter has been refereed, and revised according to the referees' remarks. This is the first volume of a two volume set, with the second volume focusing on extensions of utility theory.


Book Synopsis Handbook of Utility Theory by : Salvador Barbera

Download or read book Handbook of Utility Theory written by Salvador Barbera and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 1998 with total page 714 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The standard rationality hypothesis implies that behaviour can be represented as the maximization of a suitably restricted utility function. This hypothesis lies at the heart of a large body of recent work in economics, of course, but also in political science, ethics, and other major branches of social sciences. Though the utility maximization hypothesis is venerable, it remains an area of active research. Moreover, some fundamental conceptual problems remain unresolved, or at best have resolutions that are too recent to have achieved widespread understanding among social scientists. The main purpose of the Handbook of Utility Theory is to make recent developments in the area more accessible. The editors selected a number of specific topics, and invited contributions from researchers whose work had come to their attention. Therefore, the list of topics and contributions is largely the editors' responsibility. Each contributor's chapter has been refereed, and revised according to the referees' remarks. This is the first volume of a two volume set, with the second volume focusing on extensions of utility theory.


Handbook of Utility Theory

Handbook of Utility Theory

Author: Salvador Barbera

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2004-03-31

Total Pages: 636

ISBN-13: 1402079648

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The standard rationality hypothesis is that behaviour can be represented as the maximization of a suitably restricted utility function. This hypothesis lies at the heart of a large body of recent work in economics, of course, but also in political science, ethics, and other major branches of the social sciences. Though this hypothesis of utility maximization deserves our continued respect, finding further refinements and developing new critiques remain areas of active research. In fact, many fundamental conceptual problems remain unsettled. Where others have been resolved, their resolutions may be too recent to have achieved widespread understanding among social scientists. Last but not least, a growing number of papers attempt to challenge the rationality hypothesis head on, at least in its more orthodox formulation. The main purpose of this Handbook is to make more widely available some recent developments in the area. Yet we are well aware that the final chapter of a handbook like this can never be written as long as the area of research remains active, as is certainly the case with utility theory. The editors originally selected a list of topics that seemed ripe enough at the time that the book was planned. Then they invited contributions from researchers whose work had come to their attention. So the list of topics and contributors is largely the editors' responsibility, although some potential con tributors did decline our invitation. Each chapter has also been refereed, and often significantly revised in the light of the referees' remarks.


Book Synopsis Handbook of Utility Theory by : Salvador Barbera

Download or read book Handbook of Utility Theory written by Salvador Barbera and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2004-03-31 with total page 636 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The standard rationality hypothesis is that behaviour can be represented as the maximization of a suitably restricted utility function. This hypothesis lies at the heart of a large body of recent work in economics, of course, but also in political science, ethics, and other major branches of the social sciences. Though this hypothesis of utility maximization deserves our continued respect, finding further refinements and developing new critiques remain areas of active research. In fact, many fundamental conceptual problems remain unsettled. Where others have been resolved, their resolutions may be too recent to have achieved widespread understanding among social scientists. Last but not least, a growing number of papers attempt to challenge the rationality hypothesis head on, at least in its more orthodox formulation. The main purpose of this Handbook is to make more widely available some recent developments in the area. Yet we are well aware that the final chapter of a handbook like this can never be written as long as the area of research remains active, as is certainly the case with utility theory. The editors originally selected a list of topics that seemed ripe enough at the time that the book was planned. Then they invited contributions from researchers whose work had come to their attention. So the list of topics and contributors is largely the editors' responsibility, although some potential con tributors did decline our invitation. Each chapter has also been refereed, and often significantly revised in the light of the referees' remarks.