The First Fundamental Theorem of Welfare in a General Equilibrium Evolutionary Setting

Abstract

In the present note we prove the first fundamental theorem of welfare economics, according to which all equilibrium allocations are Pareto optimal, for the standard pure exchange model with shares. In this context the social interaction among agents enters the definition of equilibrium only through the market clearing conditions, but it does not affect the agents’ maximization problem. We show that the first fundamental theorem of welfare holds true also when introducing stationary equilibria in relation to a share updating mechanism.