Friday, June 20, 2025

How the Roman-Ruthenian Pope’s Wave Function Probabilistic Demand Model Transformed Economic Thought

Radislav (Rutherford) of Rome-Ruthenia,
Father of Wave Function Probabilistic
Demand in economics.
Staff Editorial 

ROME-RUTHENIA 20 June 2025 (NRom)

 In the evolving landscape of economics, diplomacy, and behavioral science, one innovative framework stands out for its originality and lasting impact: the Choice Wave (originally known as Wave Function Probabilistic Demand) and its associated probabilistic demand model, developed in 2006 by His Apostolic Highness Prince-Bishop Radislav I, Roman-Ruthenian Pope (known also in academic circles as Dr. Rutherford Johnson, PhD, ALM, MSc, FRGS). The theory was subsequently empirically tested and proven with real-world financial data (see more here). And it formed the basis of his economics textbook used at the University of Minnesota, Practical Economics in an Ever-Changing World. 

A graduate of Harvard, Georgia Tech, and the University of Kentucky with degrees in Sustainability, Applied Physics, Economics, and Applied (Agricultural) Economics, he leads the global United Roman-Ruthenian Church, which holds special consultative status status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. And, he is called the Father of the Wave Function in Economic Demand Theory. Pope Radislav’s groundbreaking work redefined how economists and policymakers approach decision-making. But, he is fundamentally a multidisciplinary behavioral scientist, and his work in wave function probability theory has been presented around the world and influences more than just economics. For example, it formed the mathematical basis for a capstone study he conducted at Harvard on police-public interactions, which also resulted in a policy memo for the United Nations. 

Yet, despite its originality and early contribution, Radislav’s theory has not always received formal recognition in later scholarship — even in studies advancing strikingly similar frameworks. As with many early innovations, the path from foundational insight to academic citation is often uneven. Nonetheless, the growing convergence around these ideas underscores their lasting relevance.

Indeed, Wave Function Probabilistic Demand, i.e., the Choice Wave, represents one of the earliest  known applications of quantum mechanics mathematics — specifically wave functions — to human decision-making in economics, as well as in policy, and beyond. The catchy name "Choice Wave" came from a conversation over coffee he had with one of his former professors while a Visiting Scholar at the Georgia Tech School of Economics, school chair Prof. Patrick McCarthy. 

Radislav (Rutherford) in a light moment in earlier years with
Dr. John Caufield, a pioneering figure in holography
 and a friend since youth. Radislav grew up around
many such international luminaries in the sciences.

Radislav's work, published first as a PhD dissertation in 2007 and then subsequently in multiple peer-reviewed journals, not only predates but in some respects anticipates key features of the better-known “quantum cognition,” "quantum economics," and “quantum decision theory” literature that gained visibility especially after 2011. 

...this theory would revolutionize
economic textbooks in 20 years...

Prof. Frank Scott, Gatton Professor of Economics at the University of Kentucky and a member of his PhD committee, said in 2007 that he believed this theory would revolutionize economic textbooks in 20 years. His PhD committee chair, the eminent environmental economist Prof. Angelos Pagoulatos, was also a proponent of the theory. Another committee member Prof. David Debertin wrote, "...on the basis of pure intellect, Rutherford outshines them all." 

Radislav with the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture

And it is not without recognition in the broader economics field. For example, in their 2021 article entitled "Asymmetrical Property of the Subproportionality of Weighting Function in Prospect Theory: Is It Real and How Can It Be Achieved?", Huang, Shen, Yang, Kuang, Li, and Li pointed out that Radislav's foundational work...

"...questioned the classical rationality and proposed that people are indeed different, but this point had been missing from economics."

While formal critiques of Radislav’s Choice Wave model appear rare or even non-existent in published scholarship, the theory’s reception — or lack thereof in some circles — may reflect broader dynamics in academic economics rather than shortcomings in the work itself. The model’s use of quantum mechanics mathematics, though rigorous, introduces a level of complexity that some economists might see as unnecessarily intricate compared to more familiar classical or behavioral approaches. There also appears to be a long-standing skepticism within the field about importing concepts from physics into the social sciences, with critics often wary that such frameworks may be metaphorically appealing but not always empirically essential.

Additionally, the theory’s limited mainstream adoption so far may stem less from flaws in its logic or utility, and more from disciplinary conservatism, branding gaps, and institutional inertia. New paradigms, especially those that challenge core assumptions, can take decades to gain recognition, as seen in the slow rise of behavioral economics. The Choice Wave’s distinctive terminology and its association with an unconventional academic path, including Radislav’s dual role as a religious leader, may have further complicated its integration into the standard canon. Rather than signaling a weakness, this situation presents an opportunity for the field to revisit and rigorously engage with early, innovative contributions that anticipated today’s growing interest in probabilistic and quantum-inspired models of decision-making.

What sets Radislav's contributions apart is their depth and breadth of not only theory, but practical application:

  • A rigorous mathematical model adapting Schrödinger’s wave equation to consumer and group choice.
  • Concepts like orthogonal Choice Waves representing distinct rationalities, multipoint gravitational models of influence, and the Theory of Parallel Rationality.
  • Applications spanning business strategy, diplomacy, marketing, sustainability, and policy.

The theory is more than a mere hypothetical concept, though. It has been both theoretically reviewed for its mathematical rigor and empirically tested with multiple real-world data sets. Building on psychological economics work of Kahneman, Tversky, Rabin, Russell, and Thaler, the Choice Wave model applies mathematical principles derived from wave functions in quantum mechanics to economics, permitting utility-maximizing choices across a range of probabilistically-weighted options rather than a single deterministic path. It recognizes that individuals and groups may operate with distinct yet rational decision strategies, each represented mathematically as an entirely independent wave function. 

Radislav (left) at university commencement exercises
with a Regent, the Chancellor, and Vice Chancellor
of the University of Minnesota Crookston

Long before probabilistic models of demand and behavioral economics gained widespread traction, Pope Radislav’s theory anticipated the need for frameworks that respect the diversity of human rationalities. The Choice Wave helps explain individual and collective behavior in markets, diplomacy, sustainability, and policy. It introduces the concept of natural and artificial “bridges” to align incentives across parallel economic worlds, fostering more optimal outcomes for complex societies.

Notable publications by Radislav (Rutherford) Johnson include:

Today, concepts building on the principles promoted by wave function probabilistic demand are visible throughout modern scholarship. From marketing to environmental policy and beyond, the ideas advanced by the Roman-Ruthenian Pope in 2006 continue to shape how experts think about choice, utility, and social alignment. 

Below are just a few examples of more recent articles in this rapidly developing field, many of which reflect ideas and frameworks that appear consistent with the principles Radislav first advanced in 2006.

In addition to ecclesiastical and diplomatic work, Radislav is a long-time academic. At the invitation of Woosong University President Dr. John Endicott, formerly head of the Center for International Strategy, Technology, and Policy at Georgia Tech, Radislav served at Woosong's SolBridge International School of Business in South Korea for three years as professor and university chaplain. He later served almost a decade on the faculty at the University of Minnesota's Crookston campus. Now, despite his many obligations, he teaches and guest lectures at universities around the world, including being on faculty at the London School of Business and Finance. In 2018, he was named a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, in 2022, he received the ACBSP Business Accreditation Council's Distinguished Teaching Award, and in 2023, he was named a Fellow of the Institute on the Environment at the University of Minnesota. 

Radislav (Dr. Rutherford Johnson) addressing the
campus at the University of Minnesota Crookston

As the global community grapples with increasingly intricate challenges, the Choice Wave model offers both a powerful analytic tool and a call to engage more deeply with the origins of the theories that guide modern policy. Indeed, we call on the economic field to give credit where credit is due. This is an invitation in the interest of academic integrity and scholarly thoroughness for authors, journals, and thought leaders to reflect, engage, and strengthen the rigor and inclusivity of economic science. Ultimately, we aim to foster a more complete, interconnected dialogue on innovative approaches to human decision-making. As the field continues to evolve, we encourage ongoing engagement with foundational contributions like those of Radislav, whose early work anticipated many of the developments we see today. Recognizing such origins helps strengthen the field’s intellectual integrity and depth.

We hope this reminder of the model’s origins encourages future work to engage more deeply with these foundational contributions.

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