Herbert Scarf

Herbert Scarf
Name	Herbert Scarf
Birth date	November 25, 1930
Birth place	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Death date	November 15, 2015
Death place	Orange, New Jersey, United States
Nationality	American
Alma mater	* Swarthmore College * Princeton University
Occupation	Economist, Professor
Institutions	* Yale University * Cowles Foundation * Stanford University * Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Known for	Scarf algorithm, general equilibrium analysis, combinatorial fixed-point methods

Herbert Scarf Herbert Scarf was an American economist and mathematician noted for contributions to general equilibrium theory, combinatorial optimization, and game theory. He was influential at institutions such as Yale University, the Cowles Foundation, and Stanford University, and he developed computational methods that shaped later work by researchers at MIT, Princeton University, and Harvard University. His work connected rigorous mathematics with applied problems addressed by scholars at RAND Corporation, Bell Labs, and national research bodies such as the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Early life and education

Scarf was born in Philadelphia and grew up in the Pennsylvania area during the Great Depression (United States), a period that shaped many American intellectuals of his generation alongside figures from Columbia University and University of Chicago. He completed undergraduate studies at Swarthmore College and proceeded to Princeton University for graduate work, where he encountered faculty from the Cowles Commission and contemporaries destined for posts at Yale University and Stanford University. At Princeton University he studied under or alongside scholars influenced by the mathematical economics tradition exemplified by names associated with Harvard University and University of California, Berkeley.

Academic career and positions

After completing his doctorate, Scarf held appointments at institutions including Yale University and the Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics before moving to Stanford University and later holding visiting or affiliated roles connected to Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the National Bureau of Economic Research. He taught and supervised students who subsequently joined faculties at Princeton University, Harvard University, University of Chicago, and Columbia University. During his career he collaborated with researchers at RAND Corporation, worked with economists linked to Bell Labs computational projects, and participated in conferences hosted by International Economic Association and Econometric Society venues.

Contributions to economics and game theory

Scarf made foundational advances in the computation of general equilibrium theory equilibria and in the study of core allocations in cooperative game theory. He produced influential results related to fixed-point theorems and their application to allocation problems studied by scholars at Cowles Foundation and Econometric Society meetings. His combinatorial and algorithmic approaches informed later research on market stability pursued at MIT and theoretical developments by authors associated with Harvard University and Princeton University. Scarf’s analyses intersected with work on matching and allocation topics investigated at Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley, and his methods were applied in empirical and policy contexts involving analysts from the National Bureau of Economic Research and think tanks such as Brookings Institution.

Key publications and the Scarf algorithm

Among Scarf’s key writings are monographs and papers that advanced computational economics alongside contemporaries publishing in outlets like the Journal of Political Economy and Econometrica. He introduced an algorithm—commonly called the Scarf algorithm—for computing approximate fixed points and core allocations; this method influenced numerical work by economists at MIT and computer scientists at Bell Labs and RAND Corporation. His publications addressed topics also central to research by figures at Harvard University and Princeton University on stability, bargaining, and market behavior. Texts and papers by Scarf were discussed at major forums including meetings of the Econometric Society and seminars at the Cowles Foundation and were cited by authors in fields represented at Yale University and Stanford University.

Honors and awards

Scarf received recognition from professional bodies connected to the Econometric Society and national academies such as the National Academy of Sciences. He was honored by academic organizations where his colleagues held appointments at Yale University, Princeton University, and Harvard University. His contributions were acknowledged in festschrifts and symposia organized by the Cowles Foundation and by societies that also recognize work from scholars at MIT and Stanford University.

Personal life and legacy

Scarf’s legacy endures through students and collaborators who joined faculties at Princeton University, Harvard University, Yale University, Stanford University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His algorithm and theoretical insights remain part of curricula in departments and programs at these institutions as well as research centers like the Cowles Foundation and the National Bureau of Economic Research. Obituaries and memorial sessions were held by organizations including the Econometric Society and departments at Yale University and Stanford University, reflecting his influence across generations of scholars associated with Harvard University and Princeton University.

Category:American economists Category:1930 births Category:2015 deaths