Abstract
By the use of a simple form of catastrophe theory, an attempt is made to develop an abstract, qualitative analysis of the pure theory of population. The model is constructed in such a way as to emphasize the importance of the problem posed by a very large population subsisting on non-renewable resources. Far from being outmoded, the concerns of Malthus and Wicksell are shown to be potentially present in an acute and special form—overshoot.
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References
Hoyle, F.: A contradiction in the argument of Malthus. Univ. of Hull, 1963.
Kolmogoroff, A.: Sulla teoria di volterra della lotta per l’Esistenza. Giornale dell’Istituto degli Attuari, Gennaio, 1936.
Thom, R.: Structural stability and morphogenesis. 1975.
Wicksell, K.: The theory of population, its composition and changes. Translated by Göran Ohlin, in Some Unpublished Works, Lund, 1977.
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© 1979 The Scandinavian Journal of Economics
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Goodwin, R. (1979). Wicksell and the Malthusian Catastrophe. In: Strøm, S., Thalberg, B. (eds) The Theoretical Contributions of Knut Wicksell. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-04207-4_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-04207-4_7
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-04209-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-349-04207-4
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