Knowledge Creation as a Square Dance on the Hilbert Cube

Marcus Berliant and Masahisa Fujita

Game Theory and Information from University Library of Munich, Germany

Abstract: This paper presents a micro-model of knowledge creation and transfer in a small group of people. Our model incorporates two key aspects of the cooperative process of knowledge creation: (i) heterogeneity of people in their state of knowledge is essential for successful cooperation in the joint creation of new ideas, while (ii) the very process of cooperative knowledge creation affects the heterogeneity of people through the accumulation of knowledge in common. In the two person case, we show that the equilibrium process tends to result in the accumulation of too much knowledge in common compared to the most productive state. Unlike the two-person case, in the four person case we show that the equilibrium process of knowledge creation may converge to the most productive state. Equilibrium paths are found analytically, and they are a discontinuous function of initial heterogeneity.

Keywords: knowledge creation; knowledge transfer; knowledge externalities; microfoundations of endogenous growth (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D83 O31 R11 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 70 pages
Date: 2004-01-23, Revised 2005-04-17
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-geo
Note: Type of Document - pdf; prepared on WinXP; to print on hplaserjet1300; pages: 70; figures: 9
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (25)

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Related works:
Journal Article: KNOWLEDGE CREATION AS A SQUARE DANCE ON THE HILBERT CUBE (2008)
Working Paper: Knowledge creation as a square dance on the Hilbert cube (2007)
Working Paper: Knowledge Creation as a Square Dance on the Hilbert Cube (2005)
Working Paper: Knowledge Creation as a Square Dance on the Hilbert Cube (2004)
Working Paper: Knowledge Creation as a Square Dance on the Hilbert Cube (2004)
Working Paper: Knowledge Creation as a Square Dance on the Hilbert Cube (2004)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wpa:wuwpga:0401004

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