Hirofumi Uzawa

was a Japanese economist.

Biography Uzawa was born on July 21, 1928, in Yonago, Tottori to a farming family.

He attended the Tokyo First Middle School (currently the Hibiya High School) and the First Higher School, Japan (now the College of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo).

He graduated from the Mathematics Department of the University of Tokyo in 1951; he was a special research student from 1951 to 1953. At that time, he discovered the true nature of economics in the words of John Ruskin, “There is no wealth, but life.” which was quoted in the foreword to by Hajime Kawakami, and decided to study economics. He became a professor at the University of Chicago in 1964, and a professor of University of Tokyo's Department of Economics in 1969. He also taught at Niigata University, Chuo University, and United Nations University. Joseph E. Stiglitz and George A. Akerlof did research under Uzawa at the University of Chicago and David Cass studied under Uzawa at Stanford University.

Contributions Uzawa initiated the field of mathematical economics in postwar days and formulated the growth theory of neoclassical economics. This is reflected in the Uzawa–Lucas model, the Uzawa iteration, the Uzawa condition, and Uzawa's Theorem, among others.

In his 1962 paper, Uzawa proved that the two of Walrasian equilibrium and Brouwer's fixed-point theorem are equivalent.

His 1965 model in which technical change is a result of macroeconomic investment was an early approach to endogenous growth theory. In these models, investments in R&D or education are chosen and have the effect of raising future economic growth rates.

Recognition 1983: Person of Cultural Merit 1989: Member of Japan Academy 1995: National Academy of Sciences Visiting Fellow 1997: Order of Culture 2009: Blue Planet Prize Econometric Society Fellow (Lifetime)