- The field of Computational Economics (CE) describes the systematic use of computer assistance for learning and teaching (CAL+CAT), reserach (CAR) and real-life solutions (CAS) in the field of economics.
- Following this broad view, CE may best be regarded as an analogy to information systems (use of computer technology for solving business administration problems).
-
CE is a hybrid approach that serves as an interface between economics and information science making computer-based methods available for economic problem solving. Computational techniques do both, they simplify (e.g. simulation software) and expand the economist's tool box (e.g. use of Artifical Intelligence methods). In addition to the traditional use of computers in economics ("number crunching" econometric software or symbol processing mathematical tools) the field of soft computing (Fuzzy Logic/Computing with Words, Neural Networks, Genetic Algorithms) seems to be particularly promising for enriching the methodology of economics (e.g. design of expert and decision support systems, creating agent-based artificial markets). This implies insights into techniques that traditionally do not belong to the economist's expertise - therefore justifying a new subdomaine of economics.
-
A lot of my research work is dedicated to developing CAL-, CAR- and CAS-software. I share the view that implementing economic theory in user-friendly software is more than mere programming: it enriches the ability to express ourselves and helps to make economic theory more easily accessible to the end-users. I hope that this will help to bridge the gap between academic economics and it's use in real-world situations. The underlying idea is that economists should not only think about new theories but also about the tools with which they enable the practioneers to use these theories more effectively.
- So far, CE is not a sharply outlined (let alone established) subdiscipline of economics. Therefore my reserach work concentrates on ...
- ... exploring the potential of the computer-assisted approach in different fields of economics
- ... developing a more formalised landscape of computational economics aiming at a systematic description of the discipline and sketching a curriculum to make it an integral part of economics in the future.
|