One of the most important methods in dealing with the optimization of large, complex systems is that of hierarchical decomposition. The idea is to reduce the overall complex problem into manageable approximate problems or subproblems, to solve these problems, and to construct a solution of the original problem from the solutions of these simpler prob lems. Development of such approaches for large complex systems has been identified as a particularly fruitful area by the Committee on the Next Decade in Operations Research (1988) 42] as well as by the Panel on Future Directions in Control...

This book presents papers on continuous-time consumption investment models by Suresh Sethi and various co-authors. Sir Isaac Newton said that he saw so far because he stood on the shoulders of gi ants. Giants upon whose shoulders Professor Sethi and colleagues stand are Robert Merton, particularly Merton's (1969, 1971, 1973) seminal papers, and Paul Samuelson, particularly Samuelson (1969). Karatzas, Lehoczky, Sethi and Shreve (1986), henceforth KLSS, re produced here as Chapter 2, reexamine the model proposed by Mer ton. KLSS use methods of modern mathematical analysis, taking care to prove...