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Nonergodic Economic Growth

Review of Economic Studies 1993 60(2), 349
This paper explores the role of complementarities and incomplete markets in economic growth. We analyze the evolution of an economy composed of a countable set of industries. Individual industries exhibit non-convexities in production and are linked by localized technological complementarities. These complementarities, when strong enough, produce multiple equilibria in long-run economic activity. The equilibria have a simple probabilistic structure that demonstrates how local interactions can affect the aggregate equilibrium. The model generates interesting cross-sectional and intertemporal dynamics as coordination problems become the source of aggregate and individual industry volatility. The model also illustrates how the growth of leading sectors can cause a takeoff to a high aggregate production equilibrium.