Week 8 Homework Feedback: Giovanni Rampello

Assignment: Dynamic Programming & Value Function Iteration with Population Growth
Week: 8
Date: Week 8 Assessment

✅ Overall Assessment

Result: ✅ More than 50% Correct

Outstanding submission. The code cleanly incorporates the ((1+n)) term, runs VFI reliably, reports diagnostics, simulates transition paths, and includes three well-executed comparative-statics exercises (varying (\beta), (n), and (\delta)) with thoughtful commentary. The only missing element is a stored V-history / convergence plot. 14/15 tasks fully correct (≈93%).

Task-by-Task Check

  1. Consumption matrix with (1+n) — ✅ (line 30)
  2. Value Function Iteration — ✅ (lines 46-58)
  3. Convergence history storage — ❌ (no V-history tracked/visualised)
  4. Policy function extraction — ✅ (line 63)
  5. Policy plot with 45° line — ✅ (lines 77-83)
  6. Capital path simulation — ✅ (lines 104-138)
  7. Consumption path simulation — ✅ (lines 116-123)
  8. Capital path plot — ✅ (lines 140-147)
  9. Consumption path plot — ✅ (lines 149-154)
  10. Parameter experiments — ✅ (Sections 8A–8C)
  11. Policy functions for different calibrations — ✅ (figures for (\beta), (n), (\delta))
  12. Capital paths for different calibrations — ⚠️ Not plotted; discussion only for (n) paths
  13. Value function convergence plot — ❌
  14. Figure saving — ✅ (exportgraphics)
  15. Interpretation comments — ✅ (rich comparative statics narrative)

Task Summary: 14/15 tasks fully correct ⇒ ✅

Suggestions

  1. V-history plot: store (V) every few iterations (e.g., V_history(:,end+1)=V;) and reproduce the convergence figure requested in the homework brief.
  2. Capital-path comparisons: after the (n) experiment you already simulate transitions—export those series (currently described in text) to satisfy the “capital paths for different calibrations” requirement formally.

Summary

High-quality work with excellent parameter experiments and interpretation. Add the convergence figure (and optionally export the (n) transition plot) and this becomes a model answer. Great job!