Cyclical strategies in two-dimensional optimal control models: Necessary conditions and existence

This paper derives necessary conditions such that cyclical policies may be optimal in concave, two state variable (economic) control problems. These conditions identify four different routes. One major implication is that two of these four conditions may be met by separable models. This possibility has been overlooked so far. Therefore, even separable and structurally very simple models may be characterized by optimal cyclical policies. Indeed, it will be shown that stable limit cycles exist for concave and separable control problems.