IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/gamebe/v140y2023icp556-574.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Designing weighted and directed networks under complementarities

Author

Listed:
  • Li, Xueheng

Abstract

Strategic complementarities influence various social and economic activities. This study introduces a model to design a weighted and directed complementarity network to achieve a planner's objectives. The network represents the direction and intensity of complementarities between agents, influencing their best-responses to one another and determining equilibrium efforts. The planner's objective function can be convex, as commonly assumed in prior research, or arbitrarily concave to represent scenarios with diminishing marginal returns to each agent's effort. In all scenarios, optimal networks are generalized nested split graphs (GNSGs) which exhibit a link-dominance hierarchy among agents. These optimal networks are often strictly hierarchical, leading to inequality between ex ante identical agents. Additional analysis of a non-cooperative network formation game reveals that all decentralized equilibrium networks are inefficient GNSGs.

Suggested Citation

  • Li, Xueheng, 2023. "Designing weighted and directed networks under complementarities," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 556-574.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:gamebe:v:140:y:2023:i:c:p:556-574
    DOI: 10.1016/j.geb.2023.04.010
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0899825623000611
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.geb.2023.04.010?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ernst Fehr & Klaus M. Schmidt, 1999. "A Theory of Fairness, Competition, and Cooperation," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 114(3), pages 817-868.
    2. Belhaj, Mohamed & Bervoets, Sebastian & Deroïan, Frédéric, 2016. "Efficient networks in games with local complementarities," Theoretical Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 11(1), January.
    3. Coralio Ballester & Antoni Calvó-Armengol & Yves Zenou, 2006. "Who's Who in Networks. Wanted: The Key Player," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 74(5), pages 1403-1417, September.
    4. Daron Acemoglu & Vasco M. Carvalho & Asuman Ozdaglar & Alireza Tahbaz‐Salehi, 2012. "The Network Origins of Aggregate Fluctuations," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 80(5), pages 1977-2016, September.
    5. Hannu Salonen, 2016. "Equilibria and centrality in link formation games," International Journal of Game Theory, Springer;Game Theory Society, vol. 45(4), pages 1133-1151, November.
    6. Wouter Dessein & Andrea Galeotti & Tano Santos, 2016. "Rational Inattention and Organizational Focus," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 106(6), pages 1522-1536, June.
    7. Bloch, Francis & Dutta, Bhaskar, 2009. "Communication networks with endogenous link strength," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 66(1), pages 39-56, May.
    8. Yann Bramoull? & Rachel Kranton & Martin D'Amours, 2014. "Strategic Interaction and Networks," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 104(3), pages 898-930, March.
    9. ,, 2015. "Social activity and network formation," Theoretical Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 10(2), May.
    10. , D. & Tessone, Claudio J. & ,, 2014. "Nestedness in networks: A theoretical model and some applications," Theoretical Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 9(3), September.
    11. Belhaj, Mohamed & Bramoullé, Yann & Deroïan, Frédéric, 2014. "Network games under strategic complementarities," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 310-319.
    12. Vasco M. Carvalho & Alireza Tahbaz-Salehi, 2019. "Production Networks: A Primer," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 11(1), pages 635-663, August.
    13. Venkatesh Bala & Sanjeev Goyal, 2000. "A Noncooperative Model of Network Formation," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 68(5), pages 1181-1230, September.
    14. K. J. Arrow, 1971. "The Economic Implications of Learning by Doing," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: F. H. Hahn (ed.), Readings in the Theory of Growth, chapter 11, pages 131-149, Palgrave Macmillan.
    15. Andrea Galeotti & Benjamin Golub & Sanjeev Goyal, 2020. "Targeting Interventions in Networks," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 88(6), pages 2445-2471, November.
    16. Norma Olaizola & Federico Valenciano, 2020. "Dominance of weighted nested split graph networks in connections models," International Journal of Game Theory, Springer;Game Theory Society, vol. 49(1), pages 75-96, March.
    17. Kandel, Eugene & Lazear, Edward P, 1992. "Peer Pressure and Partnerships," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 100(4), pages 801-817, August.
    18. Stantcheva, Stefanie & Akcigit, Ufuk & Caicedo Soler, Santiago & Miguelez, Ernest & Sterzi, Valerio, 2018. "Dancing with the Stars: Innovation through Interactions," CEPR Discussion Papers 12819, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    19. Baumann, Leonie, 2021. "A model of weighted network formation," Theoretical Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 16(1), January.
    20. Cabrales, Antonio & Calvó-Armengol, Antoni & Zenou, Yves, 2011. "Social interactions and spillovers," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 72(2), pages 339-360, June.
    21. Hiller, Timo, 2017. "Peer effects in endogenous networks," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 349-367.
    22. Rabin, Matthew, 1993. "Incorporating Fairness into Game Theory and Economics," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 83(5), pages 1281-1302, December.
    23. Sugden, Robert, 1984. "Reciprocity: The Supply of Public Goods through Voluntary Contributions," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 94(376), pages 772-787, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yang Sun & Wei Zhao & Junjie Zhou, 2023. "Structural Interventions In Networks," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 64(4), pages 1533-1563, November.
    2. Kinateder, Markus & Merlino, Luca Paolo, 2023. "Free riding in networks," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    3. Ryan Kor & Junjie Zhou, 2022. "Welfare and Distributional Effects of Joint Intervention in Networks," Papers 2206.03863, arXiv.org.
    4. Yang Sun & Wei Zhao & Junjie Zhou, 2021. "Structural Interventions in Networks," Papers 2101.12420, arXiv.org, revised Feb 2021.
    5. Jackson, Matthew O. & Zenou, Yves, 2015. "Games on Networks," Handbook of Game Theory with Economic Applications,, Elsevier.
    6. Markus Kinateder & Luca Paolo Merlino, 2021. "The Evolution of Networks and Local Public Good Provision: A Potential Approach," Games, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-12, July.
    7. Ding, Sihua, 2022. "Link investment substitutability: A factor influencing network formation," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 340-359.
    8. Harkins, Andrew, 2020. "Network Comparative Statics," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 1306, University of Warwick, Department of Economics.
    9. Norma Olaizola & Federico Valenciano, 2020. "Characterization of efficient networks in a generalized connections model with endogenous link strength," SERIEs: Journal of the Spanish Economic Association, Springer;Spanish Economic Association, vol. 11(3), pages 341-367, September.
    10. Olaizola Ortega, María Norma & Valenciano Llovera, Federico, 2017. "Efficiency of weighted networks," IKERLANAK info:eu-repo/grantAgreeme, Universidad del País Vasco - Departamento de Fundamentos del Análisis Económico I.
    11. Hiller, Timo, 2017. "Peer effects in endogenous networks," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 349-367.
    12. Norma Olaizola & Federico Valenciano, 2020. "Dominance of weighted nested split graph networks in connections models," International Journal of Game Theory, Springer;Game Theory Society, vol. 49(1), pages 75-96, March.
    13. Dike Chukwudi Henry, 2021. "Network Games, Peer Effect and Neutral Transfers," Studies in Economics 2107, School of Economics, University of Kent.
    14. Olaizola Ortega, María Norma & Valenciano Llovera, Federico, 2016. "A Marginalist Model of Network Formation," IKERLANAK info:eu-repo/grantAgreeme, Universidad del País Vasco - Departamento de Fundamentos del Análisis Económico I.
    15. Harkins, Andrew, 2020. "Network Comparative Statics," CRETA Online Discussion Paper Series 64, Centre for Research in Economic Theory and its Applications CRETA.
    16. Chen, Ying-Ju & Zenou, Yves & Zhou, Junjie, 2022. "The impact of network topology and market structure on pricing," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 204(C).
    17. Kinateder, Markus & Merlino, Luca Paolo, 2022. "Local public goods with weighted link formation," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 316-327.
    18. Julia Müller & Thorsten Upmann, 2017. "Eigenvalue Productivity: Measurement of Individual Contributions in Teams," CESifo Working Paper Series 6679, CESifo.
    19. Alan Griffith, 2022. "A continuous model of strong and weak ties," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 24(6), pages 1519-1563, December.
    20. Deng, Liuchun & Sun, Yufeng, 2017. "Criminal network formation and optimal detection policy: The role of cascade of detection," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 43-63.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Weighted and directed networks; Network games; Complementarity; Optimal network; Nested split graph; Network formation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D85 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Network Formation
    • C72 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Noncooperative Games

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:gamebe:v:140:y:2023:i:c:p:556-574. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/622836 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.