R. G. D. Allen
Encyclopedia
Sir Roy George Douglas Allen, CBE
, FBA
(1906 – 1983) was an English economist
, mathematician
and statistician
.
Allen was born in Worcester and educated at the Royal Grammar School Worcester
, from which he won a scholarship to Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge
. He gained a First Class Honours in Mathematics
and was awarded a Wrangler scholarship.
He became a lecturer at the London School of Economics
(LSE) later becoming Professor of Statistics. He wrote many papers and books on mathematical economics including the famous paper on A Reconsideration of the Theory of Value published in Economics
in 1934 with Sir John Hicks
.
Other books include: Mathematical Analysis for Economists (1938), Statistics for Economists (1949), Mathematical Economics (1956), and Macroeconomic Theory (1967).
Allen was knighted
in 1966 for his services to economics and became president of the Royal Statistical Society
, who awarded him the Guy Medal
in Gold in 1978. He was also treasurer of the British Academy
of which he was a fellow (FBA).
Amongst his many great achievements and contributions to economics is his concept of the "partial elasticity of substitution
" set out in his famous 1938 book. He was one of the first economists to use mathematics in economics and taught a whole generation of famous economists.
Allen became a fellow of Sidney Sussex, Cambridge and died in 1983.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, FBA
British Academy
The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national body for the humanities and the social sciences. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.It receives an annual...
(1906 – 1983) was an English economist
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
and statistician
Statistician
A statistician is someone who works with theoretical or applied statistics. The profession exists in both the private and public sectors. The core of that work is to measure, interpret, and describe the world and human activity patterns within it...
.
Allen was born in Worcester and educated at the Royal Grammar School Worcester
Royal Grammar School Worcester
The Royal Grammar School Worcester is an independent coeducational school in Worcester, United Kingdom. Founded before 1291, it is one of the oldest British independent schools....
, from which he won a scholarship to Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge
Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge
Sidney Sussex College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England.The college was founded in 1596 and named after its foundress, Frances Sidney, Countess of Sussex. It was from its inception an avowedly Puritan foundation: some good and godlie moniment for the mainteynance...
. He gained a First Class Honours in Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and was awarded a Wrangler scholarship.
He became a lecturer at the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
(LSE) later becoming Professor of Statistics. He wrote many papers and books on mathematical economics including the famous paper on A Reconsideration of the Theory of Value published in Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
in 1934 with Sir John Hicks
John Hicks
Sir John Richard Hicks was a British economist and one of the most important and influential economists of the twentieth century. The most familiar of his many contributions in the field of economics were his statement of consumer demand theory in microeconomics, and the IS/LM model , which...
.
Other books include: Mathematical Analysis for Economists (1938), Statistics for Economists (1949), Mathematical Economics (1956), and Macroeconomic Theory (1967).
Allen was knighted
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in 1966 for his services to economics and became president of the Royal Statistical Society
Royal Statistical Society
The Royal Statistical Society is a learned society for statistics and a professional body for statisticians in the UK.-History:It was founded in 1834 as the Statistical Society of London , though a perhaps unrelated London Statistical Society was in existence at least as early as 1824...
, who awarded him the Guy Medal
Guy Medal
The Guy Medals are awarded by the Royal Statistical Society in three categories; Gold, Silver and Bronze. The Gold Medal is awarded triennially, the other two are awarded annually...
in Gold in 1978. He was also treasurer of the British Academy
British Academy
The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national body for the humanities and the social sciences. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.It receives an annual...
of which he was a fellow (FBA).
Amongst his many great achievements and contributions to economics is his concept of the "partial elasticity of substitution
Elasticity of substitution
Elasticity of substitution is the elasticity of the ratio of two inputs to a production function with respect to the ratio of their marginal products . It measures the curvature of an isoquant and thus, the substitutability between inputs , i.e...
" set out in his famous 1938 book. He was one of the first economists to use mathematics in economics and taught a whole generation of famous economists.
Allen became a fellow of Sidney Sussex, Cambridge and died in 1983.
Some works by Roy Allen
- "The Nature of Indifference Curves", 1934, RES.
- "The Concept of the Arc Elasticity of Demand", 1934, RES
- "A Reconsideration of the Theory of Value", 1934, Economica, Part II 1(2), pp. 196-219. (Part I by J.R. HicksJohn HicksSir John Richard Hicks was a British economist and one of the most important and influential economists of the twentieth century. The most familiar of his many contributions in the field of economics were his statement of consumer demand theory in microeconomics, and the IS/LM model , which...
) - Family Expenditure with A.L. Bowley, 1935.
- Mathematical Analysis for Economists, 1938. 1st-page chapter links. Review fragments by J.R. Hickshttp://www.jstor.org/pss/2549083 and Carl F. Christ (1st paragraph).http://www.jstor.org/pss/1234785
- "The Supply of Engineering Labor under Boom Conditions", with B. Thomas, 1939, Economic Journal.
- Statistics for Economists, 1949.
- "Index Numbers of Retail Prices, 1938-51", 1952, Applied Statistics.
- Mathematical Economics, 1956. Review fragments by Oskar MorgensternOskar MorgensternOskar Morgenstern was a German-born Austrian-School economist. He, along with John von Neumann, helped found the mathematical field of game theory ....
http://www.jstor.org/pss/1055709, C.F. Carter,http://www.jstor.org/pss/2227249 and Carl F. Christ (2nd and 3rd para.).http://www.jstor.org/pss/1234785 - Macroeconomic Theory, 1967.
- "On Official Statistics and Official Statisticians", 1970, J of Royal Statistical Society.
- Index Numbers in Theory and Practice, 1975.
- Introduction to National Accounts Statistics, 1980.
Obituaries
- E. Grebenik Roy George Douglas Allen 1906-1983, Journal of the Royal Statistical Society. Series A (General), Vol. 147, No. 5 (1984), pp. 706-707.
- Obituary: Sir Roy Allen, CBE, FBA (1906-1983,The Statistician, Vol. 33, No. 4 (Dec., 1984), pp. 401-406. (includes list of Allen's publications.)