IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/arx/papers/2605.05609.html

Optimal Contextual Pricing under Agnostic Non-Lipschitz Demand

Author

Listed:
  • Jianyu Xu
  • Yu-Xiang Wang

Abstract

We study contextual dynamic pricing with linear valuations and bounded-support agnostic noise, whose induced demand curve may be non-Lipschitz with arbitrary jumps and atoms. Such discontinuities break the cross-context interpolation arguments used by smooth-demand pricing algorithms, while the best previous method achieved only $\tilde O(T^{3/4})$ regret. We propose Conservative-Markdown Redirect-UCB Pricing, a polynomial-time algorithm that combines randomized parameter estimation, conservative residual-grid probing, and confidence-based one-step redirection. Our algorithm achieves $\tilde O(T^{2/3})$ optimal regret, matching the known lower bounds of Kleinberg and Leighton (2003) up to logarithmic factors and improving over the previous upper bound of Xu and Wang (2022). Under stochastic well-conditioned contexts, this closes the long-existing open regret gap in linear-valuation contextual pricing under agnostic non-Lipschitz noise distribution.

Suggested Citation

  • Jianyu Xu & Yu-Xiang Wang, 2026. "Optimal Contextual Pricing under Agnostic Non-Lipschitz Demand," Papers 2605.05609, arXiv.org.
  • Handle: RePEc:arx:papers:2605.05609
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2605.05609
    File Function: Latest version
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. repec:hal:journl:hal-04475574 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Maxime C. Cohen & Adam N. Elmachtoub & Xiao Lei, 2022. "Price Discrimination with Fairness Constraints," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(12), pages 8536-8552, December.
    3. Hamsa Bastani & David Simchi-Levi & Ruihao Zhu, 2022. "Meta Dynamic Pricing: Transfer Learning Across Experiments," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(3), pages 1865-1881, March.
    4. Yining Wang & Xi Chen & Xiangyu Chang & Dongdong Ge, 2021. "Uncertainty Quantification for Demand Prediction in Contextual Dynamic Pricing," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 30(6), pages 1703-1717, June.
    5. Boxiao Chen & Xiuli Chao & Hyun-Soo Ahn, 2019. "Coordinating Pricing and Inventory Replenishment with Nonparametric Demand Learning," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 67(4), pages 1035-1052, July.
    6. Wang Chi Cheung & David Simchi-Levi & He Wang, 2017. "Technical Note—Dynamic Pricing and Demand Learning with Limited Price Experimentation," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 65(6), pages 1722-1731, December.
    7. N. Bora Keskin & Assaf Zeevi, 2014. "Dynamic Pricing with an Unknown Demand Model: Asymptotically Optimal Semi-Myopic Policies," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 62(5), pages 1142-1167, October.
    8. Xi Chen & David Simchi-Levi & Yining Wang, 2022. "Privacy-Preserving Dynamic Personalized Pricing with Demand Learning," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(7), pages 4878-4898, July.
    9. Omar Besbes & Assaf Zeevi, 2015. "On the (Surprising) Sufficiency of Linear Models for Dynamic Pricing with Demand Learning," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 61(4), pages 723-739, April.
    10. Omar Besbes & Assaf Zeevi, 2009. "Dynamic Pricing Without Knowing the Demand Function: Risk Bounds and Near-Optimal Algorithms," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 57(6), pages 1407-1420, December.
    11. Xueping Gong & Wei You & Jiheng Zhang, 2026. "Minimax Optimality in Contextual Dynamic Pricing with General Valuation Models," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 74(2), pages 879-897, March.
    12. Mila Nambiar & David Simchi-Levi & He Wang, 2019. "Dynamic Learning and Pricing with Model Misspecification," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 65(11), pages 4980-5000, November.
    13. Gah-Yi Ban & N. Bora Keskin, 2021. "Personalized Dynamic Pricing with Machine Learning: High-Dimensional Features and Heterogeneous Elasticity," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(9), pages 5549-5568, September.
    14. Jianqing Fan & Yongyi Guo & Mengxin Yu, 2024. "Policy Optimization Using Semiparametric Models for Dynamic Pricing," Journal of the American Statistical Association, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 119(545), pages 552-564, January.
    15. N. Bora Keskin & Assaf Zeevi, 2017. "Chasing Demand: Learning and Earning in a Changing Environment," Mathematics of Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 42(2), pages 277-307, May.
    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. Tao Shen & Yifan Cui, 2026. "Proxy-Aided Demand Learning with an Application to Various Pricing Problems," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 74(2), pages 770-787, March.
    2. Sentao Miao & Xi Chen & Xiuli Chao & Jiaxi Liu & Yidong Zhang, 2022. "Context‐based dynamic pricing with online clustering," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 31(9), pages 3559-3575, September.
    3. Qi Feng & J. George Shanthikumar, 2022. "Developing operations management data analytics," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 31(12), pages 4544-4557, December.
    4. Jianyu Xu & Yining Wang & Xi Chen & Yu-Xiang Wang, 2025. "Dynamic Pricing with Adversarially-Censored Demands," Papers 2502.06168, arXiv.org, revised Jan 2026.
    5. Thomas Loots & Arnoud V. den Boer, 2023. "Data‐driven collusion and competition in a pricing duopoly with multinomial logit demand," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 32(4), pages 1169-1186, April.
    6. Ariit Sengupta & Amit Kohar & Himanshu Rathore & Suresh K. Jakhar, 2025. "Decrease the price now, increase it later: a novel approach to demand learning and dynamic pricing of new experiential products through the lens of construal level theory," Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 24(3), pages 266-284, June.
    7. Boxiao Chen & David Simchi-Levi & Yining Wang & Yuan Zhou, 2022. "Dynamic Pricing and Inventory Control with Fixed Ordering Cost and Incomplete Demand Information," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(8), pages 5684-5703, August.
    8. Yang, Xiangyu & Zhang, Jianghua & Hu, Jian-Qiang & Hu, Jiaqiao, 2024. "Nonparametric multi-product dynamic pricing with demand learning via simultaneous price perturbation," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 319(1), pages 191-205.
    9. Jingwen Tang & Zhengling Qi & Ethan Fang & Cong Shi, 2025. "Offline Feature-Based Pricing Under Censored Demand: A Causal Inference Approach," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 27(2), pages 535-553, March.
    10. Xiaocheng Li & Zeyu Zheng, 2024. "Dynamic Pricing with External Information and Inventory Constraint," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 70(9), pages 5985-6001, September.
    11. Adel Javanmard & Jingwei Ji & Renyuan Xu, 2024. "Multi-Task Dynamic Pricing in Credit Market with Contextual Information," Papers 2410.14839, arXiv.org, revised Dec 2025.
    12. Xi Chen & David Simchi-Levi & Yining Wang, 2026. "Utility Fairness in Contextual Dynamic Pricing with Demand Learning," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 72(3), pages 2619-2633, March.
    13. Yining Wang & Quanquan Liu, 2025. "Estimation of High-Dimensional Contextual Pricing Models with Nonparametric Price Confounders," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 73(6), pages 3065-3084, November.
    14. Joon Suk Huh & Ellen Vitercik & Kirthevasan Kandasamy, 2024. "Bandit Profit-maximization for Targeted Marketing," Papers 2403.01361, arXiv.org, revised Jul 2024.
    15. Maxime C. Cohen & Sentao Miao & Yining Wang, 2025. "Dynamic Pricing with Fairness Constraints," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 73(6), pages 3027-3043, November.
    16. Xi Chen & Sentao Miao & Yining Wang, 2023. "Differential Privacy in Personalized Pricing with Nonparametric Demand Models," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 71(2), pages 581-602, March.
    17. David Simchi-Levi & Chonghuan Wang, 2026. "Pricing Experimental Design: Causal Effect, Expected Revenue and Tail Risk," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 72(2), pages 1157-1174, February.
    18. Xiao, Baichun & Yang, Wei, 2021. "A Bayesian learning model for estimating unknown demand parameter in revenue management," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 293(1), pages 248-262.
    19. Hamsa Bastani & David Simchi-Levi & Ruihao Zhu, 2022. "Meta Dynamic Pricing: Transfer Learning Across Experiments," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(3), pages 1865-1881, March.
    20. Leon Yang Chu & Qi Feng & J. George Shanthikumar & Zuo-Jun Max Shen & Jian Wu, 2025. "Solving the Price-Setting Newsvendor Problem with Parametric Operational Data Analytics (ODA)," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 71(8), pages 6627-6646, August.

    More about this item

    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:2605.05609. 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: https://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.