Nonextensive statistical mechanics and economics

Ergodicity, this is to say, dynamics whose time averages coincide with ensemble averages, naturally leads to Boltzmann-Gibbs (BG) statistical mechanics, hence to standard thermodynamics. This formalism has been at the basis of an enormous success in describing, among others, the particular stationary state corresponding to thermal equilibrium. There are, however, vast classes of complex systems which accommodate quite badly, or even not at all, within the BG formalism. Such dynamical systems exhibit, in one way or another, nonergodic aspects. In order to be able to theoretically study at least some of these systems, a formalism was proposed 14 years ago, which is sometimes referred to as nonextensive statistical mechanics. We briefly introduce this formalism, its foundations and applications. Furthermore, we provide some bridging to important economical phenomena, such as option pricing, return and volume distributions observed in the financial markets, and the fascinating and ubiquitous concept of risk aversion. One, may summarize the whole approach by saying that BG statistical mechanics is based on the entropy S-BG=-kSigma(i) p(i) In p(i), and typically provides exponential laws for describing stationary states and basic time-dependent phenomena, while nonextensive statistical mechanics is instead based on the entropic form S-g=k(1-Sigma(i) p(i)(q))/(q-1) (with S-1=S-BG), and typically provides, for the same type of description, (asymptotic) power laws. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.