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Continuity postulates and solvability axioms in economic theory and in mathematical psychology: a consolidation of the theory of individual choice

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  • Aniruddha Ghosh

    (Johns Hopkins University)

  • M. Ali Khan

    (Johns Hopkins University)

  • Metin Uyanık

    (University of Queensland)

Abstract

This paper presents four theorems that connect continuity postulates in mathematical economics to solvability axioms in mathematical psychology, and ranks them under alternative supplementary assumptions. Theorem 1 connects notions of continuity (full, separate, Wold, weak Wold, Archimedean, mixture) with those of solvability (restricted, unrestricted) under the completeness and transitivity of a binary relation. Theorem 2 uses the primitive notion of a separately continuous function to answer the question when an analogous property on a relation is fully continuous. Theorem 3 provides a portmanteau theorem on the equivalence between restricted solvability and various notions of continuity under weak monotonicity. Finally, Theorem 4 presents a variant of Theorem 3 that follows Theorem 1 in dispensing with the dimensionality requirement and in providing partial equivalences between solvability and continuity notions. These theorems are motivated for their potential use in representation theorems.

Suggested Citation

  • Aniruddha Ghosh & M. Ali Khan & Metin Uyanık, 2023. "Continuity postulates and solvability axioms in economic theory and in mathematical psychology: a consolidation of the theory of individual choice," Theory and Decision, Springer, vol. 94(2), pages 189-210, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:kap:theord:v:94:y:2023:i:2:d:10.1007_s11238-022-09890-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s11238-022-09890-z
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    Cited by:

    1. Aniruddha Ghosh & Mohammed Ali Khan & Metin Uyanik, 2022. "The Intermediate Value Theorem and Decision-Making in Psychology and Economics: An Expositional Consolidation," Games, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-24, July.
    2. Uyanik, Metin & Khan, M. Ali, 2022. "The continuity postulate in economic theory: A deconstruction and an integration," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).

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