IMF Working Papers

Invisible Geniuses: Could the Knowledge Frontier Advance Faster?

By Ruchir Agarwal, Patrick Gaulé

December 7, 2018

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Ruchir Agarwal, and Patrick Gaulé. Invisible Geniuses: Could the Knowledge Frontier Advance Faster?, (USA: International Monetary Fund, 2018) accessed November 8, 2024

Disclaimer: IMF Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to encourage debate. The views expressed in IMF Working Papers are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF, its Executive Board, or IMF management.

Summary

The advancement of the knowledge frontier is crucial for technological innovation and human progress. Using novel data from the setting of mathematics, this paper establishes two results. First, we document that individuals who demonstrate exceptional talent in their teenage years have an irreplaceable ability to create new ideas over their lifetime, suggesting that talent is a central ingredient in the production of knowledge. Second, such talented individuals born in low- or middle-income countries are systematically less likely to become knowledge producers. Our findings suggest that policies to encourage exceptionally-talented youth to pursue scientific careers—especially those from lower income countries—could accelerate the advancement of the knowledge frontier.

Subject: Commodities, Education, Gold, National accounts, Personal income, Silver, Tax incentives

Keywords: Eastern Europe, Global, Gold, IMO, IMO medalist, IMO participant, IMO performance, IMO score, Innovation, Knowledge frontier, Knowledge production, Personal income, Silver, Talent, Universities, WP

Publication Details

  • Pages:

    66

  • Volume:

    ---

  • DOI:

    ---

  • Issue:

    ---

  • Series:

    Working Paper No. 2018/268

  • Stock No:

    WPIEA2018268

  • ISBN:

    9781484385869

  • ISSN:

    1018-5941

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