----------------- HES POSTING ----------------- I think that there is a lot of informations on this theme in Hebert & Ekelund's The secret origins of Microeconomics. There is also a French scholar, François Vatin, who is interested in the subject and had published a few book studies on French 19th century engineer economists (Cournot, Dupuit and lesser-known figures) and the way their economics has drawn upon the engineering knowledge of the time. I think that he deals quite specifiquely with the kind of topics you were asked upon. Alas for those who do not read French, there are not translated yet. Loïc Charles Université of Paris 2 ------------ FOOTER TO HES POSTING ------------ For information, send the message "info HES" to [log in to unmask]