W. Brain Arthur
His research shows how powerful firms can exploit the peculiar nature of high-tech markets to the disadvantage of opponents who offer better products. The work provided the intellectual underpinnings for the U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust case against Microsoft.
The Irish economist developed much of his analysis on increasing returns while working at IIASA from 1977 to 1982 and again in the summer of 1983. IIASA’s unique environment, bringing leading scientists from different disciplines and countries together in interdisciplinary work, was crucial. “It was an extremely productive time,” he says of IIASA.
Brian Arthur is currently External Professor at the Santa Fe Institute and Visiting Researcher at the Intelligent Systems Lab, PARC. In 1990 he won the prestigious Schumpeter Prize in Economics for his work on increasing returns.