抄録
In this paper, I tried to introduce Shibata Kei's approach of the generalization of the concept of Bohm-Bawerk's average period of production in the autoregressive pattern of inputoutput structure and explained the relation between Shibata's approach and latest Matsuo Tadasu's approach of the same problem, and then proved both approach to be the same. The average period of production defined by Bohm-Bawerk expressed the length of roundabout production process. This concept was criticized because it only can be applied in the case of a single linear stage pattern of production. But there is the autoregressive pattern of inputoutput structure in the general way, in the real world. In that case, the method of how to determine average period of production become a problem. To add to the difficulty, original Bohm-Bawerk's argument was constructed on the assumption that we can know the point of time when production was carried on with only labor and without the use of capital goods (so, with only original factor of production). But if there is a autoregressive pattern of input-output structure, we must track back the roundabout production process for ever, like capital goods → capital goods → capital goods → capital goods →…. It is general view that such attempt is destined to fail because the roundabout period of production reaches an infinite value and then average period of production reaches an infinite value. However, Shibata presented a mathematical way of determinating the average period of production in autoregressive pattern of input-output structure. In addition, Shibata concluded that in such a case the average period of production has a finite value. But unfortunately Shibata's research is not complete. Now therefore, his study should be repaired and brought to perfection. In this paper, I tried to do so. In addition, a similar research to the same problem was made by Matsuo Tadasu's recent paper (Matsuo (1994), Matsuo (2010)). Hence I tried to clear up the relation between Shibata's approach and Matsuo's approach.
