This file is part of IDEAS, which uses RePEc data


[ Papers | Articles | Software | Books | Chapters | Authors | Institutions | JEL Classification | NEP reports | Search | New papers by email | Author registration | Rankings | Volunteers | FAQ | Blog | Help! ]

Tracking the Invisible Hand: Convergence of Double Auctions to Competitive Equilibrium

Author info | Abstract | Publisher info | Download info | Related research | Statistics
Author Info
Antoni Bosch-Domenech
Shyam Sunder

Additional information is available for the following registered author(s):

Abstract

Economics is the science of want and scarcity. We show that want and scarcity, operating within a simple exchange institution (double auction), can be sufficient for an economy consisting of multiple inter-related markets to attain competitive equilibrium (CE). We generalize Gode and Sunder‘s (1993a,b) single-market finding to multi-market economies, and explore the role of the scarcity constraint in convergence of economies to CE. When the scarcity constraint is relaxed by allowing arbitrageurs in middle markets to enter speculative trades, prices still converge to CE, but allocative efficiency of the economy declines. Optimization by individual agents, often used to derive competitive equilibria, is unnecessary for an actual economy to approximately attain such equilibria. From the failure of humans to optimize in complex tasks, one need not conclude that the equilibria derived from the competitive model are descriptively irrelevant. We show that even in complex economic systems which are highly inefficient, such equilibria can be attained under a range of surprisingly weak assumptions about agent behavior.

Download Info
To download:

If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. Information about this may be contained in the File-Format links below. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.

File URL: http://journals.kluweronline.com/issn/0927-7099/contents
File Format: text/html
File Function:
Download Restriction: no

Publisher Info
Article provided by Springer in its journal Computational Economics.

Volume (Year): 16 (2000)
Issue (Month): 3 (December)
Pages: 257-284
Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML (with abstract), plain text (with abstract), BibTeX, RIS (EndNote, RefMan, ProCite), ReDIF
Handle: RePEc:kap:compec:v:16:y:2000:i:3:p:257-284

Contact details of provider:
Web page: http://www.springerlink.com/link.asp?id=100248

For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its listing, contact: (Christopher F. Baum).

Related research
Keywords: competitive equilibrium; convergence; zero-intelligence traders; minimal rationality economics;

Other versions of this item:

References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Sunder, S., 1992. "Lower Bounds for Efficiency of Surplus Extraction in Double Auctions," GSIA Working Papers 1992-17, Carnegie Mellon University, Tepper School of Business.
  2. Theodore W. Schultz, 1962. "Reflections on Investment in Man," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 70, pages 1. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Rothschild, Emma, 1994. "Adam Smith and the Invisible Hand," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 84(2), pages 319-22, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Smith, Vernon L, 1991. "Rational Choice: The Contrast between Economics and Psychology," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 99(4), pages 877-97, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Full references

Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Nir Dagan, 1994. "Recontracting and Competition," Economics Working Papers 152, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, revised Jan 1996. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. Jan Werner, 1995. "Arbitrage, Bubbles, and Valuation," Economics Working Papers 121, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra. [Downloadable!]
  3. Sjaak Hurkens & Nir Vulkan, 1996. "Information Acquisition and Entry," Economics Working Papers 155, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  4. José V. Rodríguez Mora, 1995. "Shared Knowledge," Economics Working Papers 144, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra. [Downloadable!]
  5. Leigh TESFATSION, 1995. "How Economists Can Get Alife," Economic Report 37, Iowa State University Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  6. John Duffy, 2004. "Agent-Based Models and Human Subject Experiments," Computational Economics 0412001, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  7. Luisa Fuster, 1995. "Altruism, Uncertain Lifetime, and the Distribution of Wealth," Economics Working Papers 150, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra. [Downloadable!]
  8. Fabio Canova, 1994. "Does Detrending Matter for the Determination of the Reference Cycle and the Selection of Turning Points?," Economics Working Papers 113, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, revised Mar 1995. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  9. María Sáez, 1994. "Are Large Windows Efficient? Evolution of Learning Rules in a Bargaining Model," Economics Working Papers 101, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra. [Downloadable!]
  10. Huber, Juergen & Shubik, Martin & Sunder, Shyam, 2007. "Three Minimal Market Institutions: Theory and Experimental Evidence," Working Papers 27, Yale University, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  11. Marc Sáez, 1995. "Option Pricing under Stochastic Volatility and Stochastic Interest Rate in the Spanish Case," Economics Working Papers 129, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra. [Downloadable!]
  12. Sergi Jiménez-Martín, 1993. "The Wage Effect of an Indexation Clause: Evidence from Spanish Manufacturing Firms," Economics Working Papers 92, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, revised Sep 1994. [Downloadable!]
  13. Sergiu Hart & Andreu Mas-Colell, 1994. "Bargaining and Value," Economics Working Papers 114, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, revised Feb 1995. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
    • Hart, Sergiu & Mas-Colell, Andreu, 1996. "Bargaining and Value," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 64(2), pages 357-80, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  14. Xavier Cuadras & Joan R. Roses, 1995. "Bills of Exchange as Money: Sources of Monetary Supply during the Industrialization in Catalonia (1844-74)," Economics Working Papers 111, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra. [Downloadable!]
  15. Xavier Freixas & Jean Charles Rochet, 1995. "Fair Pricing of Deposit Insurance. Is it Possible? Yes. Is it Desirable? No," Economics Working Papers 130, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, revised Jun 1995. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
Statistics
Access and download statistics

Did you know? IDEAS also indexes software components.

This page was last updated on 2009-12-10.

This information is provided to you by IDEAS at the Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut using RePEc data on a server sponsored by the Society for Economic Dynamics.