Stokeshypotesen

Stokeshypotesen, or the Stock Hypothesis, is a term used in some Nordic and interdisciplinary discussions to describe a broad class of propositions about how a system’s stock variable evolves over time. The term is applied across contexts such as economics, ecology, and systems science, where inventories, capital, or resource pools are central to the analysis.

The central idea of the hypothesis is that a measurable stock within a system changes according to balancing forces: inflows add to the stock, outflows remove from it, and depreciation or obsolescence gradually reduce it. In many formulations, the stock is treated as the primary state variable, with flows and losses treated as drivers that determine its trajectory. The hypothesis often implies that, under certain conditions, the stock can be modeled with conservation-like constraints and relatively simple replenishment or depletion dynamics.

In practice, Stokeshypotesen is used to structure theoretical models and to compare scenarios in policy analysis, inventory management, and resource planning. It supports discussions about sustainability, efficiency, and resilience by focusing on how much of a resource or asset remains, rather than only on rates of use or generation.

Critics note that the hypothesis can oversimplify complex systems, neglect external shocks, nonlinear feedbacks, and data limitations. As a result, it is typically employed as a framework for thinking and modeling rather than as a universal law.

See also: inventory theory, stock-flow modeling, sustainability assessment.