[PDF][PDF] Mechanism design and approximation
JD Hartline - Book draft. October, 2013 - jasonhartline.com
This text provides a look at select topics in economic mechanism design through the lens of
approximation. It reviews the classical economic theory of mechanism design wherein a …
approximation. It reviews the classical economic theory of mechanism design wherein a …
Optimal auctions vs. anonymous pricing
For selling a single item to agents with independent but non-identically distributed values,
the revenue optimal auction is complex. With respect to it, Hartline and Roughgarden (2009) …
the revenue optimal auction is complex. With respect to it, Hartline and Roughgarden (2009) …
Robust algorithms for the secretary problem
In classical secretary problems, a sequence of $ n $ elements arrive in a uniformly random
order, and we want to choose a single item, or a set of size $ K $. The random order model …
order, and we want to choose a single item, or a set of size $ K $. The random order model …
Tight revenue gaps among simple mechanisms
We consider a fundamental problem in microeconomics: selling a single item to a number of
potential buyers, whose values are drawn from known independent and regular (not …
potential buyers, whose values are drawn from known independent and regular (not …
Benchmark design and prior-independent optimization
This paper compares two leading approaches for robust optimization in the models of online
algorithms and mechanism design. Competitive analysis compares the performance of an …
algorithms and mechanism design. Competitive analysis compares the performance of an …
Competitive auctions with imperfect predictions
The competitive auction was first proposed by Goldberg, Hartline, and Wright. In their paper,
they introduce the competitive analysis framework of online algorithm designing into the …
they introduce the competitive analysis framework of online algorithm designing into the …
Envy freedom and prior-free mechanism design
We consider the provision of an abstract service to single-dimensional agents. Our model
includes position auctions, single-minded combinatorial auctions, and constrained matching …
includes position auctions, single-minded combinatorial auctions, and constrained matching …
Smoothed analysis of multi-item auctions with correlated values
Consider a seller with m heterogeneous items for sale to a single additive buyer whose
values for the items are arbitrarily correlated. It was previously shown that, in such settings …
values for the items are arbitrarily correlated. It was previously shown that, in such settings …
Revenue gaps for discriminatory and anonymous sequential posted pricing
We consider the problem of maximizing the expected revenue from selling $ k $
homogeneous goods to $ n $ unit-demand buyers who arrive sequentially with independent …
homogeneous goods to $ n $ unit-demand buyers who arrive sequentially with independent …