Occasionally Binding Constraints in Large Models: A Review of Solution Methods

Jonathan Swarbrick

No 2021-5, Discussion Papers from Bank of Canada

Abstract: This practical review assesses several approaches to solving medium- and large-scale dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) models featuring occasionally binding constraints. In such models, global solution methods are not possible because of the curse of dimensionality. This causes the modeller to look elsewhere for methods that can handle the significant non-linearities and non-differentiable functions that inequality constraints represent. The paper discusses methods—including Newton-type solvers under perfect foresight, the piecewise linear algorithm (OccBin), regime-switching models (RISE) and the news shocks approach (DynareOBC)—and compares the results from a simple borrowing constraints model obtained using projection methods, providing example MATLAB code. The study focuses on the news shocks method, which I find produces higher accuracy than other methods and allows the modeller to study multiple equilibria and determinacy issues.

Keywords: Business fluctuations and cycles; Economic models (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C6 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 50 pages
Date: 2021-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dge, nep-mac and nep-ore
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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