Mathematical Analysis of the Historical Economic Growth with a Search for Takeoffs from Stagnation to Growth

Ron W. NIELSEN

Abstract


Abstract. Data describing historical economic growth are analysed. Included in the analysis is the world and regional economic growth. The analysis demonstrates that historical economic growth had a natural tendency to follow hyperbolic distributions. Parameters describing hyperbolic distributions have been determined. A search for takeoffs from stagnation to growth produced negative results. This analysis throws a new light on the interpretation of the mechanism of the historical economic growth and suggests new lines of research.

Keywords. Historical economic growth; regimes of growth; stagnation; take offs; Malthusian trap; hyperbolic growth.

JEL. A10, B15, B16, B22, C29.


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1453/jel.v3i1.606

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