Paul Graham：Superlinear Returns, Excerpt 7

But this is hard for us to empathize with because we're not the recipients; we're the returns. [ 2 ] Knowledge did of course have a practical effect before the Industrial Revolution. The development of agriculture changed human life completely. But this kind of change was the result of broad, gradual improvements in technique, not the discoveries of a few exceptionally learned people. [ 3 ] It's not mathematically correct to describe a step function as superlinear, but a step function starting from zero works like a superlinear function when it describes the reward curve for effort by a rational actor.

Source： https://paulgraham.com/superlinear.html
Locator：Essay, additional excerpt 7 · Verified：2026-10-19 · Verification：Short excerpt

公开随笔；仅摘录并链接作者官网原文，不托管全文。

This text is still in copyright. Only a short excerpt is shown; read the full text at the official link above. Copyright

← Back to the library