List of days of the year

04 July - Gérard Debreu birth anniversary

 


Gérard Debreu was a prominent French economist who made significant contributions to the field of mathematical economics, particularly in general equilibrium theory. He was born on July 4, 1921, in Calais, France, and passed away on December 31, 2004, in Paris.

Debreu's most notable work is his development of the theory of general equilibrium, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 1983. In his groundbreaking book, "Theory of Value: An Axiomatic Analysis of Economic Equilibrium" (1959), Debreu provided a rigorous mathematical framework for understanding how supply and demand interact in an economy to determine prices and resource allocations.

His work in general equilibrium theory addressed fundamental questions about the existence and efficiency of competitive equilibria in markets with multiple goods and factors of production. Debreu's analysis introduced concepts such as excess demand functions and the Edgeworth box diagram, which helped economists gain insights into the workings of complex market systems.

Debreu's contributions had a profound impact on economic theory and influenced subsequent research in many areas, including welfare economics, finance, and international trade. His mathematical rigor and axiomatic approach significantly advanced the field of economic theory and paved the way for further developments in the study of equilibrium and market dynamics.

Apart from his Nobel Prize, Debreu received numerous other accolades for his work, including the John Bates Clark Medal in 1974. He spent much of his academic career at the University of California, Berkeley, where he held a faculty position from 1962 until his retirement in 1991. Gérard Debreu's work continues to be highly regarded and studied by economists around the world.

 

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