IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/arx/papers/2601.09198.html

Credible Nash Bargaining Solution for Bilateral Trading Networks

Author

Listed:
  • Kang Rong
  • Qianfeng Tang

Abstract

We study surplus division in network constrained bilateral matching markets with transferable utility. We introduce a new solution concept, the credible bargaining solution, which refines stability by requiring that, for each matched pair of buyer and seller, surplus be divided according to the Nash bargaining solution with respect to credible outside options, defined as their payoffs in some stable outcome of the submarket obtained by removing their link. We establish general properties of the credible bargaining solution, prove existence, and provide a complete characterization in the unit-surplus case based on the notion of essential links.

Suggested Citation

  • Kang Rong & Qianfeng Tang, 2026. "Credible Nash Bargaining Solution for Bilateral Trading Networks," Papers 2601.09198, arXiv.org.
    • Handle: RePEc:arx:papers:2601.09198
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://arxiv.org/pdf/2601.09198
    File Function: Latest version
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Marina Núñez & Carles Rafels, 2008. "A Cooperative Bargaining Approach to the Assignment Market," Group Decision and Negotiation, Springer, vol. 17(6), pages 553-563, November.
    2. Abreu, Dilip & Manea, Mihai, 2012. "Bargaining and efficiency in networks," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 147(1), pages 43-70.
    3. Crawford, Vincent P & Rochford, Sharon C, 1986. "Bargaining and Competition in Matching Markets," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 27(2), pages 329-348, June.
    4. Roth, Alvin E. & Sotomayor, Marilda, 1988. "Interior points in the core of two-sided matching markets," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 45(1), pages 85-101, June.
    5. Matthew Elliott, 2015. "Inefficiencies in Networked Markets," American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 7(4), pages 43-82, November.
    6. Morton Davis & Michael Maschler, 1965. "The kernel of a cooperative game," Naval Research Logistics Quarterly, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 12(3), pages 223-259, September.
    7. Polanski, Arnold, 2007. "Bilateral bargaining in networks," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 134(1), pages 557-565, May.
    8. Robert J. Aumann, 2025. "Game-Theoretic Analysis of a Bankruptcy Problem from the Talmud," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS TO GAME THEORY, chapter 9, pages 219-242, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    9. Corominas-Bosch, Margarida, 2004. "Bargaining in a network of buyers and sellers," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 115(1), pages 35-77, March.
    10. Rochford, Sharon C., 1984. "Symmetrically pairwise-bargained allocations in an assignment market," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 262-281, December.
    11. Abreu, Dilip & Manea, Mihai, 2012. "Markov equilibria in a model of bargaining in networks," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 75(1), pages 1-16.
    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. Bayati, Mohsen & Borgs, Christian & Chayes, Jennifer & Kanoria, Yash & Montanari, Andrea, 2015. "Bargaining dynamics in exchange networks," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 417-454.
    2. Gauer, F. & Hellmann, T., 2017. "Strategic formation of homogeneous bargaining networks," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 51-74.
    3. Talamàs, Eduard, 2019. "Price dispersion in stationary networked markets," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 247-264.
    4. Darpoe, Erik & Dominguez, Alvaro & Martin-Rodriguez, Maria, "undated". "Bargaining Dynamics and Varied Linking Costs in Stable Networks," AGI Working Paper Series 2024-04, Asian Growth Research Institute.
    5. Mihai Manea, 2011. "Bargaining in Stationary Networks," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 101(5), pages 2042-2080, August.
    6. repec:agi:wpaper:00000260 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Arnaud Zlatko Dragicevic, 2022. "Exchange Networks with Stochastic Matching," Games, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-18, December.
    8. Dominguez, Alvaro & Darpoe, Erik & Martin-Rodriguez, Maria, 2023. "Formation of Networks in a Context with Diversity," AGI Working Paper Series 2023-02, Asian Growth Research Institute.
    9. Elliott, Matt & Nava, Francesco, 2019. "Decentralized bargaining in matching markets: efficient stationary equilibria and the core," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 87219, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    10. Donna, Javier D. & Schenone, Pablo & Veramendi, Gregory F., 2020. "Networks, frictions, and price dispersion," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 406-431.
    11. Bedayo, Mikel & Mauleon, Ana & Vannetelbosch, Vincent, 2016. "Bargaining in endogenous trading networks," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 70-82.
    12. Cho, Myeonghwan, 2021. "Trading networks of price-taking buyers and sellers," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 196(C).
    13. Thành Nguyen & Karthik Kannan, 2021. "Welfare Implications in Intermediary Networks," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 32(2), pages 378-393, June.
    14. Qi Feng & Chengzhang Li & Mengshi Lu & J. George Shanthikumar, 2022. "Implementing Environmental and Social Responsibility Programs in Supply Networks Through Multiunit Bilateral Negotiation," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(4), pages 2579-2599, April.
    15. Alison Watts, 2016. "Auctions Versus Private Negotiations in Buyer-Seller Networks," Games, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-14, August.
    16. Elif Özcan-Tok, 2020. "Bargaining on supply chain networks with heterogeneous valuations," TOP: An Official Journal of the Spanish Society of Statistics and Operations Research, Springer;Sociedad de Estadística e Investigación Operativa, vol. 28(2), pages 506-525, July.
    17. Arnold Polanski, 2016. "Matching structure and bargaining outcomes in buyer–seller networks," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 46(4), pages 767-776, April.
    18. Chan, Keith Jin Deng, 2025. "Inefficiency in a frictionless market," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 59-69.
    19. BEDAYO, Mikel & MAULEON, Ana & VANNETELBOSCH, Vincent, 2012. "Bargaining and delay in trading networks," LIDAM Discussion Papers CORE 2012046, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
    20. Nava, Francesco, 2015. "Efficiency in decentralized oligopolistic markets," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 157(C), pages 315-348.
    21. Priazhkina, Sofia & Page, Frank H., 2018. "Sharing market access in buyer–seller networks," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 175(C), pages 415-446.

    More about this item

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    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:arx:papers:2601.09198. 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: arXiv administrators (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://arxiv.org/ .

    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.