In this paper we sketch some reflections on the pitfalls and inconsistencies of the research program—currently dominant among the profession—aimed at providing microfoundations to macroeconomics along a Walrasian perspective. We argue that such a methodological approach constitutes an...

The practice of detecting power laws and scaling behaviors in economics and finance has gained momentum in the last few years, due to the increased use of concepts and methods first developed in statistical physics. Some disappointment has emerged in the economic profession, however, as regards...

Starting from the generalized exponential function <InlineEquation ID="Equ1"> <EquationSource Format="TEX">$\exp_{\kappa}(x)=(\sqrt{1+\kappa^{2}x^{2}}+\kappa x)^{1/\kappa}$</EquationSource> </InlineEquation>, with exp <Subscript>0</Subscript>(x)=exp (x), proposed in reference [G. Kaniadakis, Physica A <Emphasis Type="Bold">296, 405 (2001)], the survival function P<Subscript></Subscript>(x)=exp <Subscript>κ</Subscript>(-βx<Superscript>α</Superscript>), where x∈R<Superscript>+</Superscript>, α,β0, and <InlineEquation ID="Equ2"> <EquationSource Format="TEX">$\kappa\in[0,1)$</EquationSource>...</equationsource></inlineequation></superscript></superscript></subscript></subscript></emphasis></subscript></equationsource></inlineequation>

We investigate the shape of the Italian personal income distribution using microdata from the Survey on Household Income and Wealth, made publicly available by the Bank of Italy for the years 1977–2002. We find that the upper tail of the distribution is consistent with a Pareto-power law type...

In this paper we tackle the problem of estimating the power-law tail exponent of income distributions by using the Hill's estimator. A subsample semi-parametric bootstrap procedure minimizing the mean squared error is used to choose the power-law cutoff value optimally. This technique is applied...

This paper proposes the κ-generalized distribution as a model for describing the distribution and dispersion of income within a population. Formulas for the shape, moments and standard tools for inequality measurement–such as the Lorenz curve and the Gini coefficient–are given. A method for...