The Heckscher-Ohlin Model Is Famous for Being Elegant and Mathematically

question 11

Essay

The Heckscher-Ohlin model is famous for being elegant and mathematically sophisticated, yet failing to describe reality. One manifestation of this fact is Trefler's Case of Missing Trade. Explain what exactly is missing. In what sense is it missing?
How would you explain why it is missing?
How can a relaxation of the identical production functions explain the case of the missing trade?
How did the results obtained by Davis and Weinstein strengthen support for the validity of the HO model?

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Definitions:

Weber's Constant

A principle in psychophysics that quantifies the smallest change in a stimulus that can be detected, stating that this change is a constant proportion of the original stimulus intensity.

Threshold

The point at which a stimulus is strong enough to be detected or to cause a response.

Difference Threshold

The smallest detectable difference between two stimuli or the minimum change in a stimulus that can be correctly perceived as differing from a reference stimulus.

Just Noticeable Difference

The minimum difference in stimulus intensity that a specific sense (like sight, hearing, taste, touch, or smell) can detect.