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PONTIFICIAE ACADEMIAE SCIENTIARVM SCRIPTA VARIA - 28 
ALLAIS 
It was, I think, JEvoNs who used this characteristic curve for 
the first time, but for the case of a stationary equilibrium and in 
triangular form. At the end of the last century, BoERM-BAWERK 
again used such a curve but in rectangular form. Subsequently a 
German, STACKELBERG, and a Frenchman, BousQUET, again used 
‘he concept of the characteristic curve for stationary process with 
rectangular and triangular form. If they did not go farther, the 
explanation is, I think, that they were unable to treat this quite 
difficult question mathematically. I have given the references to 
their works in the bibliography of my « Econometrica » paper with 
some comment. 
The concept of the characteristic curve is thus quite classic: 
What I have done is first to calculate the different macroeconomic 
quantities R, C, etc. and secondlv to generalize this concept for 
“he dynamic case. 
What is completely new is the calculation of the real consumed 
national income, the principles of which I gave in my book « Eco- 
nomie et Intérêt » in 1047. I stress that the hypotheses underlying 
‘his calculation are quite natural and not very strong (see § 119 for 
‘he general theory and § 221 for the general model). 
I can underline one point more. In the present paper, because 
‘he value of reproducible capital appeared so often, it seemed 
better to me to use the letter C without a subscript to represent re- 
producible capital and to use C, to represent the total value ot 
reproducible capital and land. (On the contrary, in my book 
:« Economie et Intérêt ». I have followed the ordinarv wav). 
WoLD 
Thank you for that explanation. Then 1 wonder whether it is 
correct to understand from your analysis that thanks to the free 
working of the forces in the capitalistic system, we are rather near 
‘he optimum of maximal possibilities? 
111 Allais - pag. 288