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Optimal Deterministic Mechanism Design: Type-Independent Preference Orderings

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Abstract

We investigate revenue maximisation in general allocation problems with incomplete information, where we assume quasi-linearity, private values, independent type distributions and single-dimensionality of type spaces. We require a mechanism to be deterministic, strategy-proof and ex-post individually rational. We assume that each player has a type-independent preference ordering over deterministic allocations. We show that the Myerson’s technique to solve the incentive-constrained revenue maximisation problem in single-unit auctions can be applied to general allocation problems, where the incentive-constrained revenue maximisation problem can be reduced to the simple maximisation problem of the sum of players’ virtual valuations without imposing any incentive constraint.

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Matsushima, H. Optimal Deterministic Mechanism Design: Type-Independent Preference Orderings. JER 69, 363–373 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1111/jere.12176

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jere.12176

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