Skip to main content
Log in

The manipulability of the Shapley-value

  • Published:
International Journal of Game Theory Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The manipulation of the Shapley-value, when used as a resource allocation mechanism, is examined. First, the extent to which an individual can, by unilaterally misrepresenting his utility function, affect the value allocation in his favor, is evaluated. When all agents attempt to manipulate, a game results, whose equilibrium allocations can be described as follows. At an equilibrium, the initial allocation appears to be Pareto-efficient. Any equilibrium allocation is also an equilibrium allocation of the analogously defined Walrasian manipulation game. The true (constrained) Walrasian allocations are equilibrium allocations. Under two slight respecifications of the value, there are no other equilibrium allocations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aumann R, Kurz M (1977a) Power and taxes. Econometrica 45:1137–1161

    Google Scholar 

  • Aumann R, Kurz M (1977b) Power and taxes in a multi-commodity economy. Israel Journal of Mathematics 3–4:175–234

    Google Scholar 

  • Crawford VP, Varian HR (1979) Distortion of preferences and the Nash theory of bargaining. Economics Letters 3:203–206

    Google Scholar 

  • Dasgupta P, Hammond R, Maskin ES (1979) The implementation of social choice rules, some general results on incentive-compatibility. Review of Economic Studies 40:185–216

    Google Scholar 

  • Hurwicz L (1972) On informationally decentralized systems. In: McGuire CB, Radner R (eds) Decision and organization. North Holland, Amsterdam, pp 297–336

    Google Scholar 

  • Hurwicz L (1978) On the interaction between information and incentives in organizations. In: Krippendorff K (ed) Communication and control in society. Scientific Publishers, Inc, New York, pp 123–147

    Google Scholar 

  • Hurwicz L (1979) Outcome functions yielding Walrasian and Lindahl allocations at Nash equilibrium points for two or more agents. Review of Economic Studies 46:217–225

    Google Scholar 

  • Hurwicz L, Maskin ES, Postlewaite A (1979) Implementation with unknown endowments. Mimeograph

  • Kalai E, Smorodinsky M (1975) Other solutions to Nash's bargaining problem. Econometrica 43: 513–518

    Google Scholar 

  • Kannai Y (1977) Concavifiability and construction of concave utility functions. Journal of Mathematical Economics 4:1–56

    Google Scholar 

  • Kihlstrom RE, Roth AE, Schmeidler D (1981) Risk-aversion and solutions to Nash's bargaining problem. In: Moeschlin O, Pallaschke D (eds) Game theory and mathematical economics. North-Holland, Amsterdam, pp 65–71

    Google Scholar 

  • Kurz M (1977) Distortion of preferences, income distribution and the case for a linear income tax. Journal of Economic Theory 14:291–298

    Google Scholar 

  • Kurz M (1980) Income distribution and distortion of preferences: The l-commodity case. Journal of Economic Theory 22:99–106

    Google Scholar 

  • Luce D, Raiffa H (1957) Games and decisions. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Mas-Colell A (1980) Remarks on the game-theoretic analysis of a simple distribution of surplus problem. International Journal of Game Theory 9:125–140

    Google Scholar 

  • Mas-Colell A (1982) Perfect competition and the core. Review of Economic Studies 49:15–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Maskin ES (1977) Nash equilibrium and welfare optimality. Mathematics of Operations Research (forthcoming)

  • Nash JF (1950) The bargaining problem. Econometrica 18:155–162

    Google Scholar 

  • Otani Y, Sicilian J (1982) Equilibrium of Walras preference games. Journal of Economic Theory 27:47–68

    Google Scholar 

  • Roth AE (1979) Axiomatic models of bargaining. Springer-Verlag, No 170

  • Schmeidler D (1980) Walrasian analysis via strategic outcome functions. Econometrica 48:1585–1593

    Google Scholar 

  • Shapley L (1953) A value for n-person games. In: Kuhn, Tucker (eds) Contributions to the theory of games II. Princeton University Press, pp 307–317

  • Shapley L (1969) Utility comparison and the theory of games. In: La dećision. Editions du CNRS, Paris, pp 251–263

    Google Scholar 

  • Shapley L, Shubik M (1969) Pure competition, coalitional power, and fair division. International Economic Review 10:337–362

    Google Scholar 

  • Sobel J (1981) Distortion of utilities and the bargaining problem. Econometrica 49:597–619

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomson W (1979a) The equilibrium allocations of Walras and Lindahl manipulation games. University of Minnesota Discussion Paper 111

  • Thomson W (1984) The manipulation of resource allocation mechanisms. Review of Economic Studies 51:447–460

    Google Scholar 

  • Vickrey WM (1961) Counterspeculation, auctions, and competitive sealed tenders. The Journal of Finance 16:8–37

    Google Scholar 

  • Walker M (1984) A simple auctioneerless mechanism with Walrasian properties. Journal of Economic Theory 32:111–127

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

This is a revised version of a University of Minnesota discussion paper (September 1979). The author thanks L. Hurwicz, T. Ikeda, T. Ito, J. Jordan, and particularly A. Mas-Colell for their comments. Assistance from NSF, under grant No 8006482, and from the Sloan Foundation, is gratefully acknowledged.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Thomson, W. The manipulability of the Shapley-value. Int J Game Theory 17, 101–127 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01254542

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01254542

Keywords

Navigation