# pieter jan motmans ## Posts - [Data Markets: why we need them](https://pieterjanmotmans.com/data-markets-why-we-need-them/): This post is a first attempt at outlining why solid data markets could benefit the economy.  The Economics of Data For more than a decade now, data have been hailed as the new oil. Still, surprisingly little is known about the economic properties and impact of data. We can say that for some of the largest companies in the world, data are one of their main assets, but we cannot yet say exactly how or why this happened. Do data allow companies to grow big, and if yes, how? Thinking deeply about such questions is incredibly important,  both for policy […] - [Agent-Based Modelling in Economics](https://pieterjanmotmans.com/agent-based-modelling-in-economics/): In this post, I will explain some of the work on Agent Based Modelling in economics. Fragments of this research have interested me for a while, but it was not until reading Doyne Farmer’s book Making Sense of Chaos that the full picture of this exciting field became clear to me. Agent-Based Modelling Agent-based modelling (ABM) treats economic phenomena as resulting from the interactions of various agents such as households, firms and governments. The brevity and simplicity of this definition is exactly why it distinguishes itself from more traditional approaches to economic research:  A priori, ABM poses no restrictive assumptions […] - [Keynes and the gold standard](https://pieterjanmotmans.com/keynes-and-the-gold-standard/): In this post, I will try to shed some light on the economic consensus and way of working at the time of the gold standard. Some of it  is counter-intuitive compared  to the monetary policy we are used to now, and thus bears explanation, definitely at a time when it looks like stablecoins might start to play a legitimate role in the financial system. How looking at the gold standard through a Keynesian lens can help us understand stablecoins. The first half of the twentieth century brought about a monumental change in the workings of the monetary system, and no […] - [Couplings in Reinforcement Learning](https://pieterjanmotmans.com/couplings-in-rl/): To validate my Master’s in Data Sciences and Business Analytics, I got the opportunity to do a research internship at ESSEC under the supervision of Professors Pierre Alquier, Guillaume Chevillon and Pierre Jacob. In the context of Markov Chain Monte Carlo, Prof. Jacob had discovered an algorithm using couplings to solve the so-called Poisson Equation. The solutions of this Poisson Equation in the context of Infinite-Horizon Reinforcement Learning are the Value Function and Average Reward of a policy. The main idea is to devise a coupling that lets two agents discover the state space using the same policy, right until […] ## Pages - [Reading recommendations](https://pieterjanmotmans.com/book-recommendations/): Fiction Max, Mischa & het Tet-offensief by Johan Harstad: it is hard to write a one-sentence description for this book that does it justice, so I will just repeat what was on the cover of the Dutch translation: if you read just one book this year, make it this one. As far as I know, it hasn’t been translated into English yet, but it’s only a matter of time before a publisher realises their mistake!   Non Fiction Story of a Life by Konstantin Paustovsky: an autobiography by an incredible author who truly lived life to the fullest, during times […] - [Blog](https://pieterjanmotmans.com/blog/): This page shows my writing. - [About me](https://pieterjanmotmans.com/about-me/) - [Writing](https://pieterjanmotmans.com/blogs/): Book review Explanation Rigidity vs. Economic stability August 19, 2025 How looking at the gold standard through a Keynesian lens can help us understand stablecoins. The first… Academic Writing Couplings in Reinforcement Learning November 20, 2023 To validate my Master’s in Data Sciences and Business Analytics, I got the opportunity to do a… No posts found 1 2 3 4 5 Rigidity vs. Economic stability How looking at the gold standard through a Keynesian lens can help us understand stablecoins. The first… Read More Couplings in Reinforcement Learning To validate my Master’s in Data Sciences and Business Analytics, I got […] - [Home](https://pieterjanmotmans.com/): Welcome! This website is an attempt to take you along on my journey to understand the role of data and artificial intelligence in our economy. I have a Master’s in Data Sciences and Business Analytics, and two years of work experience as an AI researcher and Machine Learning Engineer. Now, I am taking a step back from technical implementation, to learn about the economics behind these technologies. To that end, I will be pursuing an MRes in economics at the KU Leuven. This fits with my broader belief that society needs a lot of different perspectives on the digital (r)evolution […] [comment]: # (Generated by Hostinger Tools Plugin)