R. G. D. Allen

Sir Roy George Douglas Allen, CBE, FBA (1906 – 1983) was an English economist, mathematician and statistician.

Allen was born in Worcester and educated at the Royal Grammar School Worcester, from which he won a scholarship to Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. He gained a First Class degree in Mathematics and was awarded a Wrangler scholarship.

He became a lecturer at the London School of Economics (LSE) later becoming Professor of Statistics. He wrote many papers and books on mathematical economics including the famous paper on A Reconsideration of the Theory of Value published in Economica in 1934 with Sir John Hicks. Other books include: Mathematical Analysis for Economists (1938), Statistics for Economists (1949), Mathematical Economics (1956), and Macroeconomic Theory (1967).

Allen was knighted in 1966 for his services to economics and became president of the Royal Statistical Society, who awarded him the Guy Medal in Gold in 1978. He was also treasurer of the British Academy of which he was a fellow (FBA).

Amongst his many great achievements and contributions to economics is his concept of the "partial elasticity of substitution" set out in his famous 1938 book. He was one of the first economists to use mathematics in economics and taught a whole generation of famous economists.

Allen became a fellow of Sidney Sussex, Cambridge and died in 1983.

Some works by Roy Allen

• "The Nature of Indifference Curves", 1934, RES.
• "The Concept of the Arc Elasticity of Demand", 1934, RES
• "A Reconsideration of the Theory of Value", with J.R. Hicks, 1934, Economica.
• Family Expenditure with A.L. Bowley, 1935.
• Mathematical Analysis for Economists, 1938.
• "The Supply of Engineering Labor under Boom Conditions", with B. Thomas, 1939, EJ
• Statistics for Economists, 1949.
• "Index Numbers of Retail Prices, 1938-51", 1952, Applied Statistics.
• Mathematical Economics, 1956.
• Macroeconomic Theory, 1967.
• "On Official Statistics and Official Statisticians", 1970, J of Royal Statistical Society
• Index Numbers in Theory and Practice, 1975.
• Introduction to National Accounts Statistics, 1980.

Obituaries

• E. Grebenik Roy George Douglas Allen 1906-1983, Journal of the Royal Statistical Society. Series A (General), Vol. 147, No. 5 (1984), pp. 706-707.
• Obituary: Sir Roy Allen, CBE, FBA (1906-1983,The Statistician, Vol. 33, No. 4 (Dec., 1984), pp. 401-406. (includes list of Allen's publications.)

External links

• New School: Roy G. D. Allen