Cookies

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. You can change your cookie settings at any time. Otherwise, we'll assume you're OK to continue.

Research

Research is at the core of Durham University.  It shapes and inspires the disciplinary structure of our departments, several of which lead the UK - and even the world - in their fields.  Research leads the content and development of our teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and creates new cross-disciplinary programmes through our centres and institutes. In partnership with policy-makers, industry, healthcare and education, Durham's cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural research shapes local, national and international agendas. 

Links to recent research highlights and to the Research Office and other units and schemes that support our research can be found on this page.

Forthcoming research seminars

G. Chevillon (Essex Business School) and S. Mavroeidis (University of Oxford): Learning generates Long Memory

17th May 2012, 15:30 to 17:00, Classroom A, Economics Department, Old Elvet, Durham

Abstract:  We consider a prototypical representative-agent forward-looking model, and study the low frequency variability of the data when the agent's beliefs about the model are updated through linear learning algorithms.

We find that learning in this context can generate strong persistence. The degree of persistence depends on the weights agents place on past observations when they update their beliefs, and on the magnitude of the feedback from expectations to the endogenous variable. When the learning algorithm is recursive least squares, long memory arises when the coefficient on expectations is sufficiently large. In algorithms with discounting, long memory provides a very good approximation to the low-frequency variability of the data. Hence long memory arises endogenously, due to the self-referential nature of the model, without any persistence in the exogenous shocks. This is distinctly different from the case of rational expectations, where the memory of the endogenous variable is determined exogenously. Finally, this property of learning is used to shed light on some well-known empirical puzzles.

An Economics and Finance research seminar organised by CEGAP.

Download this event in iCalendar format


Breakthrough

Visit Durham's brand new research microsite - Breakthrough - for examples of our latest research, outstanding achievements and research grants.

Want to find out more about research at Durham?

Find out what's going on around the University in your research area