Pieter Ruys, born in Zeist, the Netherlands, in 1938. Ph.D. from Tilburg University. Professor of Mathematical Economics at Tilburg University and Eindhoven University of Technology.
Fellow (1 September 1994 – 30 June 1995)
In economics, more specifically in general equilibrium theory, relations between agents and institutions, such as markets, are described and analysed. Exchange between agents is usually described as taking place between an agent and an institution. The agents are assumed to behave independently and possible interaction causes market failures which have to be repaired. This paradigm is seen as rather restrictive by social psychologists and politicologists, whose research is precisely based on these relational interactions. Although these co operative activities are indispensable, they are often vulnerable in a competitive economic context. My research at NIAS has been devoted to analysing this problem in various contexts. The most experimental project has been the interdisciplinary project “Watervoorziening in Nederland: Competitie en coöperatie”. This research has caused a spin off to the various research projects, viz., on privatisation and on product development. Another project started at NIAS this year is aimed at applying the cellular automata method in economic modeling in order to develop the interactive relational approach. Some of my research in progress has reached a final phase at NIAS, namely papers on semi-core equivalence, on the efficiency and separability of trade centers, and context reconstruction, and on a book “Public Sector Economics”, to be published next year.