Principle of least effort vs. maximum efficiency: deriving Zipf-Pareto's laws

Qiuping A. Wang

Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, 2021, vol. 153, issue P1

Abstract: This paper provides a derivation of Zipf-Pareto laws directly from the principle of least effort. A probabilistic functional of efficiency is introduced as the consequence of an extension of the nonadditivity of the efficiency of thermodynamic engine to a large number of living agents assimilated to engines, all randomly distributed over their output. Application of the maximum calculus to this efficiency yields the Zipf's and Pareto's laws.

Keywords: Least effort; Maximum efficiency; Zipf's law; Pareto law; Calculus of variation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:chsofr:v:153:y:2021:i:p1:s0960077921008432

DOI: 10.1016/j.chaos.2021.111489

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