On the knowledge production function

Abstract

Knowledge amount is an integral indicator of the development of society. Humanity produces knowledge in response to challenges from nature and society. Knowledge production depends on population size and human productivity. Productivity is a function of knowledge amount. The purpose of this study is to find this function and verify it on empirical material, including global demographic and information data. The productivity function is a basic element of the theory that results in the dynamic equations of knowledge production and population growth. A separate problem is the quantitative assessment of knowledge. To solve it, we consider knowledge representations in the form of patents, articles and books. Knowledge is stored in various types of devices, which together form a global informational storage. Storage capacity is increasing rapidly as digital technology advances. We compare storage capacity with the memory occupied by the forms of knowledge representation. The results obtained in this study contribute to the theory of knowledge production and related demographic dynamics and allow us to deepen our understanding of civilization development.