  The simplest way to determine the optimum initial consumption, \(C^*(0)\), is to observe from equation (14) that if \(C^*(t)\) grows indefinitely at the rate \(m\), so should \(K(t)\) be required to grow at that same rate. The reason is that if the growth rate of \(K(t)\) were to be less than \(m\), capital would be eaten into, which means the stock would be exhausted in finite time. The economy would then cease to exist \((V(0)\) would be minus infinity if the future trajectory of the economy were to be thus.) If on the other hand the growth rate of \(K(t)\) were to exceed \(m\), there would be over-accumulation of capital, in the sense that consumption would be lower at every date than it needs be. The situation would resemble one where DM throws away a part of the initial capital stock \(K(0)\) and then settles on a saving behaviour that satisfies the Ramsey Rule.