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Ask HN: Can a tautology be serious?

1 pointsby bruno_rznover 6 years ago
Let&#x27;s write a tautology : A = A Let&#x27;s rewrite it : A = A&#x2F;B * B<p>Now, I often see people (in economics, mostly) do this little trick :<p>ΔA = Δ(A&#x2F;B * B) Δ * ln(A) = Δ * ln(A&#x2F;B) + Δ * ln(B)<p>Then, they will show that, empirically, A&#x2F;B has always been constant (more or less), thus, if you want to increase A, you just have to work on increasing B.<p>Can this kind of equation actually say something about reality ? Can it be falsified, so it can be taken seriously to be used for predictions ?<p>(to add some context, I&#x27;m thinking here about Kaya identity)

1 comment

nanisover 6 years ago
The Kaya identity (just like the GDP accounting identity abused by all sorts of interventionists) is devoid of empirical content.
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