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! ]

Aggregation and Imperfect Competition: On the Existence of Equilibrium

Author info | Abstract | Publisher info | Download info | Related research | Statistics
Author Info
Andrew Caplin (Columbia University)
Barry Nalebuff (Yale School of Management)

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

Abstract

We present a new approach to the theory of imperfect competition and apply it to study price competition among differentiated products. The central result provides general conditions under which there exists a pure strategy price equilibrium for any number of firms producing any set of products. This includes products with multi-dimensional attributes. In addition to the proof of existence, we provide conditions for uniqueness. Our analysis covers location models, the characteristic approach, and probabilistic choice together in a unified framework. To prove existence, we employ aggregation theorems due to Prekopa (1971) and Borell (1975). Our companion paper [CFDP 938] introduces these theorems and develops the application to super-majority voting rules.

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 file. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.

File URL: http://cowles.econ.yale.edu/P/cd/d09a/d0937.pdf
File Format: application/pdf
File Function:
Download Restriction: no

Publisher Info
Paper provided by Cowles Foundation, Yale University in its series Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers with number 937.

Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML, plain text, BibTeX, RIS (EndNote), ReDIF
Length: 37 pages
Date of creation: Feb 1990
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:cwl:cwldpp:937

Contact details of provider:
Postal: Yale University, Box 208281, New Haven, CT 06520-8281 USA
Phone: (203) 432-3702
Fax: (203) 432-6167
Web page: http://cowles.econ.yale.edu/
More information through EDIRC

Order Information:
Postal: Cowles Foundation, Yale University, Box 208281, New Haven, CT 06520-8281 USA

For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its listing, contact: (Glena Ames).

Related research
Keywords: Imperfect competition Bertrand equilibrium differentiated products prices price competition

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. d'Aspremont, C & Gabszewicz, Jean Jaskold & Thisse, J-F, 1979. "On Hotelling's "Stability in Competition"," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 47(5), pages 1145-50, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Grandmont, Jean-Michel, 1978. "Intermediate Preferences and the Majority Rule," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 46(2), pages 317-30, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Feenstra, R.C. & Levinsohn, J.A., 1989. "Distance, Demand, And Oligopoly Pricing," Working Papers 245, Research Seminar in International Economics, University of Michigan.
    Other versions:
  4. Caplin, A. & Nalebuff, B., 1989. "Aggregation And Imperfect Competition: On The Existence Of Equilibrium," Discussion Papers 1989_30, Columbia University, Department of Economics.
    Other versions:
  5. Lederer, Phillip J & Hurter, Arthur P, Jr, 1986. "Competition of Firms: Discriminatory Pricing and Location," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 54(3), pages 623-40, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Archibald, G C & Rosenbluth, Gideon, 1975. "The "New" Theory of Consumer Demand and Monopolistic Competition," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 89(4), pages 569-90, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Andrew Caplin & Barry Nalebuff, 1990. "Aggregation and Social Choice: A Mean Voter Theorem," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 938, Cowles Foundation, Yale University. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  8. Caplin, Andrew S & Nalebuff, Barry J, 1986. "Multi-dimensional Product Differentiation and Price Competition," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 38(0), pages 129-45, Suppl. No. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Steven C. Salop, 1979. "Monopolistic Competition with Outside Goods," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 10(1), pages 141-156, Spring. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. Anderson, Simon P & de Palma, Andre, 1988. "Spatial Price Discrimination with Heterogeneous Products," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 55(4), pages 573-92, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. B. Curtis Eaton, 1972. "Spatial Competition Revisited," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 5(2), pages 268-78, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. Edward C. Prescott & Michael Visscher, 1977. "Sequential Location among Firms with Foresight," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 8(2), pages 378-393, Autumn. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  13. Osborne, Martin J & Pitchik, Carolyn, 1987. "Equilibrium in Hotelling's Model of Spatial Competition," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 55(4), pages 911-22, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  14. Perloff, Jeffrey M & Salop, Steven C, 1985. "Equilibrium with Product Differentiation," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 52(1), pages 107-20, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  15. Christensen, Laurits R & Jorgenson, Dale W & Lau, Lawrence J, 1975. "Transcendental Logarithmic Utility Functions," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 65(3), pages 367-83, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  16. Greenberg, Joseph, 1979. "Consistent Majority Rules over Compact Sets of Alternatives," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 47(3), pages 627-36, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  17. Schulz, Norbert & Stahl, Konrad, 1985. "On the non-existence of oligopolistic equilibria in differentiated products spaces," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 15(2), pages 229-243, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  18. Economides, Nicholas, 1989. "Symmetric equilibrium existence and optimality in differentiated product markets," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 47(1), pages 178-194, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  19. Spence, Michael, 1976. "Product Selection, Fixed Costs, and Monopolistic Competition," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 43(2), pages 217-35, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  20. Egbert Dierker, 1989. "Competition for Customers," Discussion Paper Serie A 244, University of Bonn, Germany.
  21. Champsaur, P. & Rochet, J-C., 1988. "Existence Of A Price Equilibrium In A Differentiated Industry," Papers 8801, Institut National de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques-.
  22. Milgrom, Paul & Roberts, John, 1990. "The Economics of Modern Manufacturing: Technology, Strategy, and Organization," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 80(3), pages 511-28, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  23. W.J. Lane, 1980. "Product Differentiation in a Market with Endogenous Sequential Entry," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 11(1), pages 237-260, Spring. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  24. repec:fth:michin:245 is not listed on IDEAS
  25. Caplin, Andrew S & Nalebuff, Barry J, 1988. "On 64%-Majority Rule," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 56(4), pages 787-814, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  26. Jaskold Gabszewicz, J. & Thisse, J. -F., 1979. "Price competition, quality and income disparities," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 340-359, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  27. Levitan, Richard & Shubik, Martin, 1972. "Price Duopoly and Capacity Constraints," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 13(1), pages 111-22, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  28. Simon P. Anderson & Andre de Palma & Jacques-Francois Thisse, 1987. "Demand for Differentiated Products," Discussion Papers 726, Northwestern University, Center for Mathematical Studies in Economics and Management Science. [Downloadable!]
  29. Hauser, John R., 1987. "Existence and uniqueness of price equilibria in Defender," Working papers 1878-87., Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Sloan School of Management. [Downloadable!]
  30. David M. Kreps & Jose A. Scheinkman, 1983. "Quantity Precommitment and Bertrand Competition Yield Cournot Outcomes," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 14(2), pages 326-337, Autumn. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  31. de Palma, A, et al, 1985. "The Principle of Minimum Differentiation Holds under Sufficient Heterogeneity," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 53(4), pages 767-81, July. [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.)
This item has more than 25 citations. To prevent cluttering this page, these citations are listed on a separate page.
Statistics
Access and download statistics

Did you know? Springer Verlag was the first commercial publisher to be listed on RePEc.

This page was last updated on 2008-8-18.

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.