describe the dynamics of populations in ecological systems. Ultimately this dynamic approach goes back directly to the economic growth equations of Malthus and Sismondi. A basic Lotka-Volterra system consists of a population of prey (say rabbits) whose size is given by x, and a population of predators

models, and more generally in their understanding of complex inter-related evolving systems. Ultimately this maths finds it's roots in the work of Malthus and Sismondi, unfortunately the environmental and energy economist movements seem to have also inherited Malthus' pessimism lock, stock and barrel.

successful reproduction. | will try to show that the classical school treated this as axiomatic from Petty through Smith, Malthus, Ricardo and Mill. Malthus was only the most obvious case. It lapsed from attention when a brilliant new insight called marginalism preferred to do without explanations for ta

cannot gain by consumption restraint for the two excellent reasons that there is no consumption to spare and no niche space if there were. Ricardo, Malthus and West all warned against rote replication in economies already developed. We must create means to make more from less. I suspect that we are up ag