Research Profile | Dr. Dipankar Das

Dr. Dipankar’s main area of work includes the fields of Indivisibility, Non-convexity, Non-linearity and Pattern Recognition in Economic Theory. His aim is to combine these topics under Normative Economics that focuses on the value of economic fairness and deal with computational aspects. Of late, a paper of his, titled “A Relationship between the Factor Indivisibility and the Output Elasticity of the Indivisible Factor,” was accepted for publication by the Studies in Microeconomics. The paper is divided into two parts. The first part propounds a notion regarding how indivisibility determines curvature of the production function. The second part formally derives the standard wage equation, considering all the entitlements of labour viz. (i) normal wages, (ii) interest and (iii) rent of ability. So far, no such mathematical proof exists that supports this wage composition. This paper, for the first time, derives a wage equation considering indivisibility of labour.

Presently, he is working on a few papers; two of which are pertaining to the model of collusion formation and a method of measuring the degree of it among bidders in the agricultural commodity markets in India. Identification of different small cartel groups at different times with respective to the supply of the agriculture commodity would help avoid the incidence of distress selling by farmers, which is the main hindrance in the development of farming community in India.

He is also working on “Managing the Job Guarantee Public Policy Schemes: A Strategic Approach.” To successfully execute & implement a Job Guarantee public policy scheme, it is important to know the aspiration level or the reference point of labour, and the labour hour & wage sequence must be prepared accordingly. The paper explains the choice problem between labour and leisure at different wage rates, as well as the complete computational tools to practice the job guarantee schemes.

In relation to non-linear pricing in e-commerce, he has been working on two papers. In the e-commerce market, the minimum order quantity or the minimum order value constraints are present. These papers give the theoretical idea of a non-linear pricing strategy when the minimum order constraints are present with a discount rate.

A paper titled “Sequential Choice Problem and the Rationality Pattern Function of the Online Reviews” is also under progress. The application of such a rationality pattern function could make it easier to quantify the rational behaviour of an agent who participates in the digital markets. This, in turn, is expected to minimize the information asymmetry within the decision-making process.

Lastly, he is working on “Understanding the Choice of Human Resource and the Artificial Intelligence: ‘Strategic Behaviour’, and the Existence of the Industry Equilibrium.” Artificial Intelligence has become an input to the production of goods and services. Therefore, a general question, “how the labour hour/human resource will be replaced by artificial intelligence?” will always exist—The paper tries to answer this question.

Dr. Dipankar has completed Ph.D. with two postgraduate degrees, one in Finance and the other in Economics with Econometrics and Actuarial Economics: Theory and Practice as elective papers. He has also completed his “Postdoctoral Research Fellowship” sponsored by the University Grants Commission of India (UGC India) in Economics. His area of study in the Ph.D. and Postdoctoral level was in the field of Agricultural and Food Industrial Organization focussed mainly on the strategic interactions among small traders, large traders, and small farmers. Interestingly he has used the theory of games and industrial organization as theoretical methodology and econometrics for empirical analysis.

His research interest is focussed on the fields of Industrial Organization, Vertical Restraints, Competition Policy, Applied Fuzzy Mathematics, Economic Theory, Decision Theory, Computational Economics and Game Theory. In his rich experience, Dr. Dipankar has worked in the interdisciplinary field, especially in the field of “Network Science” and prefers to do theoretical research. He hold keen interest and expertise in understanding the changing economic theories and correlation. For the last a few years, he has been doing research in “New Nonlinear Pricing strategy,” identification of the model of vertical restraints in Indian Agriculture, etc.

Dr. Dipankar has also developed a special style of teaching, which focusses on teaching theories mathematically. He has been teaching Mathematical Economics, Economic Growth Theories and Dynamic Economic Theories, Probability Theory and Applications, Real Analysis and its application, Operations Research, Microeconomics, Quantitative Techniques for the last 5 years.

Before taking formal lecture, he starts with the methodology to understand economic theory, for example, optimization (static and dynamic), dynamic programming, real analysis, etc. Some topics require some special methodology to start teaching those theories it is required to teach methods first. For example, to teach firm behaviour we need to know, optimization technique. Therefore, he would start teaching first the theory of optimization.

Thereafter to have a solution or optima we need to know another technique called real analysis say the concepts of continuity, compactness, etc. Then he would start teaching the theory of firm behaviour. At the end applications of these theories, he would be showing through practical cases. Therefore, his teaching plan consists of three important components viz. methodology-theory-application. Usually most people use different books, research articles, etc. to teach, which makes it difficult for students to follow through specially if they are studying the subject for the for the first time. Also, in recent times that the reading habits of the students have significantly reduced. Therefore, referring to books, research articles might not be a suitable method of teaching pedagogy.

Therefore, Dr. Dipankar has built this unique pedagogy which he has been practicing for the last few years and has seen immense success with students, that is, he prepares study materials for the students in simple language with assignments, problems and solutions. Students would start learning from his lecture, then read in-depth with his study materials and then the references. It is his experience that using these methods not only increases the understanding of the students but also the students’ interest in reading. Lastly, a presentation on a particular topic or a case study on a given issue is also helpful.