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Noncooperative oligopoly in markets with a continuum of traders: a limit theorem a la Cournot

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  • Francesca Busetto
  • Giulio Codognato
  • Sayantan Ghosal

Abstract

In this paper, we consider an exchange economy `a la Shitovitz (1973), with atoms and an atomless set. We associate with it a strategic market game of the kind first proposed by Lloyd S. Shapley and known as the Shapley window model. We analyze the relationship between the set of the Cournot-Nash equilibrium allocations of the strategic market game and the Walras equilibrium allocations of the exchange economy with which it is associated. We show, with an example, that even when atoms are countably infinite, any Cournot-Nash equilibrium allocation of the game is not a Walras equilibrium of the underlying exchange economy. Accordingly, in the original spirit of Cournot (1838), we partially replicate the mixed exchange economy by increasing the number of atoms, without affecting the atomless part, and ensuring that the measure space of agents remains finite. We show that any sequence of Cournot-Nash equilibrium allocations of the strategic market games associated with the partially replicated exchange economies approximates a Walras equilibrium allocation of the original exchange economy.

Suggested Citation

  • Francesca Busetto & Giulio Codognato & Sayantan Ghosal, "undated". "Noncooperative oligopoly in markets with a continuum of traders: a limit theorem a la Cournot," Working Papers 2014_01, Business School - Economics, University of Glasgow.
  • Handle: RePEc:gla:glaewp:2014_01
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C72 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Noncooperative Games
    • D51 - Microeconomics - - General Equilibrium and Disequilibrium - - - Exchange and Production Economies

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