Trevor Swan and the Neoclassical Growth Model

In: History of political economy, Volume 41, Issue Suppl_1, p. 107-126

Abstract

The independent contributions of Robert Solow and the Australian economist Trevor Swan in developing the neoclassical growth model are sometimes recognized by reference to the "Solow-Swan" model, but often reference is made only to the "Solow" model. Both Solow (1956) and Swan (1956) created a simple, convenient, and powerful apparatus for finding the steady-state growth path of a one-commodity world. This paper examines the differences and similarities between Swan's and Solow's analysis and diagrams, the reasons why Solow's version received more attention, and, drawing on Swan's unpublished papers, the place of Swan's growth model in his intellectual development.