Talk:Path dependence
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The section about driving on different sides of the road should be removed as it is invalid. The initial choice was not accidential, the two sides are not technically equivalent, not all countries that were in the British Empire drive on the left and not all countries that drove on the left were in the British Empire, and it has been proven that countries can change sides in modern times if the will is there.
Apart from the VCRs example, I think something could be said about path-dependence and motors. Many people think path-dependence is behind low development of electric motors and high development of gasoline motors and not-so-high development of diesel motors. Even more, path-dependence and QWERTY effects are related.
Contents |
[edit] Split the article?
This should be made a disambig. Path-dependence in economics has precious little to do with path-dependence in physics. --Smack (talk) 22:52, 4 January 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Where's W. Brian Arthur and his works?
It is a shame that the name is not even mentioned. - Onlooker - 17 Apr 2006
[edit] Path independence in Social Choice and Individual Values
The last page (120) of Arrow's book (available online thru the "Table of Contents" External link) gives an argument for path independence, which transitivity as to the social ordering ensures. Calvin B. Hoover called path dependence the coral-reef effect. But of course foresight, discussion, argument, persuasion, and social (r)evolution remove any historical necessity (as distinct from possible tendency) of path dependence. Thomasmeeks 02:14, 5 July 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Technology
"It is not clear, however, that there is any inefficiency involved in the costs of remaining compatible with past decisions." I think that paragraf should be removed. It's pure speculation and really doesn't bring anything new to the subject at hand. It is at best simply wrong.
