Background
Brown, Murray was born on July 4, 1929 in Alden, New York, United States. Son of Leo and Sarah Brown.
Brown, Murray was born on July 4, 1929 in Alden, New York, United States. Son of Leo and Sarah Brown.
Bachelor of Arts University Buffalo, 1952. Doctor of Philosophy New School Social Research, New York, 1956.
Research Assistant, National Bureau of Economie Research, New York, New York, United States of America, 1955-1956. Lector, City College New York, 1955-1956. Assistant Professor of Economics, Wharton School, University Pennsylvania, 1956-1962.
Research Association, United States Commission Money and Credit, 1960. Visiting Scholar, Econometric Institute, Institution, Netherlands School Economics, 1962. Consultant, Office Business Economics, United States Department Commerce, 1962^1, Organization American States, 1965, United States Department Justice, 1965.
Professor Econometrics, George Washington University, 1964-1967. Research Association, Center Economics Stud, and Plans, Rome, Italy, since 1966. Professor, State University New York, Buffalo, 1967-1972.
Visiting Professor, University Perugia, 1974-1975, University Rome, 1981. Goodyear Professor of Economics,
State University New York, Buffalo, New York, United States of America, since 1972.
Author: The Theory and Measurement of Technological Change, Coalitions in Oligopolies.
In seeking to measure and decompose the technological change residual of the aggregate growth rate, I found a method in the early 1960s to measure the length of technological epochs. This was then used to quantify Hicksian nonneutral as distinct from neutral technological change. A byproduct of that work was the discovery of a new production function form (along with John D. Cani), the CES, which was employed extensively to measure factors affecting the distribution of income, capital-labour exploitation and technological change in the United States and elsewhere.
At about the same time, the reswitching phenomenon surfaced, providing a fundamental critique of aggregate neoclassical production economics.
Addressing that problem, I showed in a 1969 Economic Journal article that a stringent condition for the validity of aggregate production specifications is that there be a high degree of capital-labour substitution. This led to further investigations of the aggregation conditions, under which well-behaved production functions can be specified and tested (surveyed in the 1980 National Bureau of Economie Research, New York, New York, United States of America volume on capital measurement). An interest in household demand theory resulted in a new specificaton for a complete system of demand equations in a 1972 Econometrica article but, more fundamentally, the question of what exactly constitutes a household was addressed.
Rather than specify an aggregate-type household utility function, co-operative game theory was used and a general household utility decision-making framework evolved. This considerably enlarged the set of refutable hypotheses in the area of family economics.
President American Association of University Professors, Buffalo, 1989—1994. Member of Econometric Society (associate).
Skiing, running.
Married Barbara Ellen Kingon, June 4, 1954. 1 child Erica Sara.