Second HURWICZ WORKSHOP on Mechanism Design Theory
The 2010 Hurwicz Workshop on Mechanism Design Theory is a continuation of the initiative started in 2009 of holding an annual conference to honor the 2007 Nobel Prize Laureate in Economics, professor Leonid Hurwicz. Leonid Hurwicz lived in Warsaw until 1938 and studied at the University of Warsaw. He frequently visited Poland in 1990's. Hurwicz is often credited with introducing rigorous mathematical approach to economic analysis. He received the Nobel Prize for his fundamental contributions to the theory of the design of economic mechanisms. Theory of mechanism design relies heavily on mathematical methods of functional analysis, differential equations, differential topology, dynamical systems, etc. He has made important contributions to mathematics as well as economics, in particular, to non-linear programming.
The first Hurwicz Workshop on Mechanism Design Theory was held on October 2–4, 2009. The program included a commemorative event to honor Leonid Hurwicz and a workshop held over one and half days at the Banach Center. The workshop had an interdisciplinary focus with presentations on topics ranging from macroeconomic issues to mathematical game theory and stochastic finance.
The aim of the 2010 Hurwicz Workshop is to bring together primarily young researchers from academic centers in Poland and abroad who specialize in mathematical approach to economic theory, in particular, the mechanism design theory. They will benefit from the opportunity of presenting their research to an audience with expertise in both mathematics and economics. They will also have an opportunity to learn about the fundamental contributions of Leo Hurwicz that remain largely unknown in Poland. We hope that the workshop will contribute to popularization of the mathematical approach to economic analysis in Poland.
The program of the 2010 Hurwicz Workshop will include a plenary lecture delivered by professor Eric Maskin of the Institute for Advance Study, Princeton University. Professor Maskin shared the 2007 Nobel Prize with Leonid Hurwicz. His visit to Warsaw will be sponsored by the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF).