Transformations of the state variable and learning dynamics

Shurojit Chatterji and Ignacio Lobato

International Journal of Economic Theory, 2010, vol. 6, issue 4, 385-403

Abstract: This article examines dynamics in a model where agents forecast a one dimensional state variable through ordinary least squares regressions on the lagged values of the state variable. We study the stability properties of alternative transformations of the state variable, such as taking logarithms, which the agent can endogenously set forth. Surprisingly, for the considered class of economies, we found that the transformations that an econometrician would attempt are destabilizing, whereas alternative transformations, which an econometrician would never consider, such as convex transformations, are stabilizing. Therefore, we ironically find that in our set‐up, an active agent who is concerned about learning the economy’s dynamics and who in an attempt to improve forecasting transforms the state variable using standard transformations, is more likely to deviate from the steady state than a passive agent.

Date: 2010
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1742-7363.2010.00142.x

Related works:
Working Paper: Transformations of the State Variable and Learning Dynamics (2009)
Working Paper: Transformations of the State Variable and Learning Dynamics (2007)
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bla:ijethy:v:6:y:2010:i:4:p:385-403

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.blackwell ... bs.asp?ref=1742-7355

Access Statistics for this article

International Journal of Economic Theory is currently edited by Kazuo Nishimura and Makoto Yano

More articles in International Journal of Economic Theory from The International Society for Economic Theory
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Wiley Content Delivery ().