Maurice Allais 414266 218828174 2008-06-12T10:15:32Z Sarah 430123 Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/Jtjt10|Jtjt10]] ([[User talk:Jtjt10|talk]]) to last version by DS1000 {{Infobox Person | image = Replace this image male.svg <!-- Only freely-licensed images may be used to depict living people. See [[WP:NONFREE]]. --> | image_size = 150px | | name = Maurice Félix Charles Allais | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1911|5|31}} | birth_place = {{flagicon|France}} [[Paris]], [[France]] | death_date = | death_place = | occupation = Professor of [[Economics]] | spouse = | parents = | children = }} '''Maurice Félix Charles Allais''' (born [[May 31]], [[1911]]) is a French economist, and was the 1988 winner of the [[Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel|Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics]] "for his pioneering contributions to the theory of markets and efficient utilization of resources." ==The economist== Born in [[Paris]], [[France]], Allais graduated from the [[École Polytechnique]] in [[Paris]] and studied at the [[École nationale supérieure des mines de Paris]]. His academic and non-academic posts have included being Professor of Economics at the École Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Paris (since 1944) and Director of its Economic Analysis Centre (since 1946). In 1949 he received a Doctor-Engineer title from the University of Paris, Faculty of Science. He also held teaching positions at various institutions, among which the University of [[Paris X]]-Nanterre. As an economist he made contributions to [[decision theory]], [[monetary policy]] and other areas. His name is particularly associated with what is commonly known as the [[Allais paradox]], a decision problem he first presented in 1953 which contradicts [[expected utility hypothesis]]. ==His interest in physics== Besides his career in economics, Maurice Allais performed experiments between 1952 and 1960 in the field of [[gravitation]], [[special relativity]] and [[electromagnetism]], in order to investigate mutual links between these fields. He reported three effects with respect to these experiments: # An unexpected anomalous effect in the angular velocity of the plane of oscillation of a [[paraconical pendulum]], detected during two solar eclipse events in 1954 and 1959. This effect is now called the [[Allais effect]]. # Anomalous regularities in the oscillation of the [[paraconical pendulum]], with periodicity 24h50min, which corresponds to the [[tidal]] lunar day. # Anomalous regularities in optical [[theodolite]] measurements, with the same [[tidal]] periodicity. Over the years, a number of pendulum experiments were performed by scientists around the world to verify his findings. However, the results were mixed <ref>[http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/ast06aug99_1.htm Decrypting the Eclipse<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. Allais's explanation for his observations contradicts the [[theory of relativity]]. Subsequently, in order to confront the optical anomaly with established experimental results, Prof. Allais performed a statistical analysis of the thousands of [[interferometer]] measurements of [[Dayton Miller]] and found a corresponding periodicity with the [[sidereal day]], the [[equinox]]es and other [[celestial event]]s. According to Allais, the anomalous effects demonstrate a sofar unknown anisotropy of Space as well as an effect of total velocity. He disagrees with [[Robert S. Shankland]]'s analysis of Miller's data, which many physicists consider as the reference work on the subject. Shankland attributed the deviations from relativity predictions to systematic errors of readings and thermal instabilities, despite Miller's claims to the contrary. Actually, some physicists, like [[Alan Kostelecky]], are testing the possibility of space anisotropy (totally unrelated to Allais' fringe work). This type of mainstream search is currently ongoing.<ref>[http://www.ledevoir.com/2007/04/14/139429.html] [http://qom.physik.hu-berlin.de/research_kt.htm] [http://www.exphy.uni-duesseldorf.de/Publikationen/2001/L%E4mmerzahl-OPTIS-2001.pdf]</ref> [[Roger Balian]] wrote a note to refute Allais's interpretation of Miller's result<ref>"Remarques sur les notes de Maurice Allais [...]" Comptes rendus de l'Académie des sciences", 2000, t. 1, série IV p.249-250</ref>, which was in turn rebutted by Allais<ref>"L'Origine des régularités constatéees dans les observations interférométriques de Dayton C. Miller 1925-1926 : variations de température ou anisotropie de l'espace" (with abridged English version), Comptes rendus de l'Académie des sciences, 2000, t. 1, série IV, p.1205-1210</ref> Allais has not only interest on physics but writes as well on physics history. In the [[relativity priority dispute]], he sees [[Albert Einstein]] as a plagiarist and he denies the validity of the mainstream experimental data.<ref>[http://allais.maurice.free.fr/Paradoxe.htm Paradoxe<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> He often mixes the two subjects in the same papers. ==Notable quotes== * "In essence, the present creation of money, out of nothing by the banking system, is similar - I do not hesitate to say it in order to make people clearly realize what is at stake here - to the creation of money by counterfeiters, so rightly condemned by law." ==References== {{reflist|2}} <small> * R. S. Shankland, S. W. McCuskey, F. C. Leone, and G. Kuerti, "New analysis of the interferometric observations of Dayton C. Miller", Rev. Mod. Phys. 27, 167–178 (1955). * R. S. Shankland, "Michelson's role in the development of relativity", Applied Optics 12 (10), 2280 (1973). </small> ==External links== * "''[http://www.nobel.se/economics/laureates/1988/allais-autobio.html Maurice Allais -Autobiography]''" [[Nobel Prize]], nobel.se. * "''[http://allais.maurice.free.fr/English/index.htm Maurice Allais]''" - Allais' website * [http://kilop.atspace.com/allais-cv.html Allais' CV, 1987] {{Nobel Prize in Economics Laureates 1976-2000}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Allais, Maurice}} [[Category:1911 births]] [[Category:Members of the National Academy of Sciences]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:French economists]] [[Category:Alumni of the École Polytechnique]] [[Category:Historians of science]] [[Category:French physicists]] [[Category:Nobel laureates in Economics]] [[Category:Fellows of the Econometric Society]] [[Category:French Nobel laureates]] [[ar:موريس آلياس]] [[ca:Maurice Allais]] [[da:Maurice Allais]] [[de:Maurice Allais]] [[es:Maurice Allais]] [[eo:Maurice Allais]] [[fr:Maurice Allais]] [[gd:Maurice Allais]] [[id:Maurice Allais]] [[is:Maurice Allais]] [[it:Maurice Allais]] [[nl:Maurice Allais]] [[ja:モーリス・アレ]] [[no:Maurice Allais]] [[pl:Maurice Allais]] [[pt:Maurice Allais]] [[ro:Maurice Allais]] [[ru:Алле, Морис]] [[sk:Maurice Allais]] [[fi:Maurice Allais]] [[sv:Maurice Allais]] [[tr:Maurice Allais]]