Topics in Microeconomics
Industrial Organization,
Auctions, and Incentives
Elmar Wolfstetter
This text in microeconomics
focuses on the strategic analysis of markets under imperfect competition, incomplete
information, and incentives. Part I of the book covers imperfect competition, from
monopoly and regulation to the strategic analysis of oligopolistic markets. Part II
explains the analytics of risk, stochastic dominance, and risk aversion, supplemented with
a variety of applications from different areas in economics. Part III focuses on markets
and incentives under incomplete information, including a comprehensive introduction to the
theory of auctions, which plays an important role in modern economics. Each chapter
introduces the core issues in an accessible yet rigorous fashion, and then investigates
specialized themes. Each also offers self-contained explanations and proofs. The only
prerequisites are a basic knowledge of calculus and probability, and familiarity with
intermediate undergraduate microeconomics. The text can be used as a textbook in different
courses for senior undergraduate or first-year graduate students.
Reviews
'Wolfstetter succeeds
admirably in his goal of illustrating the great breadth and power of modern
microeconomics. He effectively presents some of the most important applications of the
theory and also provides the reader with a sound understanding of the underlying
mathematical foundations. The author has a wonderful knack for explaining subtle ideas
simply and clearly.' John G. Riley, UCLA
'Wolfstetter provides
comprehensive and valuable reviews of a number of important cutting edge topics in
economics ... His chapter on auctions is one of the most comprehensive in terms of
coverage that I have seen. I strongly recommend it as an introductory survey to any
student interested in the topic.' John Kagel, University of Pittsburgh
'This book provides an
ideal incentive to master the theory of incentives itself, contemporary industrial
organization and auction theory. There is no alternative work that gathers together this
vital material with sugar rigor, humor, and range of inquiry.' Murray Brown, SUNY -
Buffalo
'Wolfstetter has done an
excellent job in making the theoretical literature accessible to a student audience. This
is a highly readable and balanced account of the new topics in economic theory.' Motty
Perry, Hebrew University
Contents
Part I. Imperfect
Competition:
1. Monopoly;
2. Regulation of monopoly;
3. Oligopoly and industrial
organization;
Part II. Risk, Stochastic
Dominance, and Risk Aversion:
4. Stochastic dominance:
theory;
5. Stochastic dominance:
applications;
6. Risk aversion;
Part III. Incomplete
Information and Incentives:
7. Matching: the marriage
problem;
8. Auctions;
9. Hidden information and
adverse selection;
10. Hidden information and
signaling;
11. Hidden action and moral
hazard;
12. Rank-order tournaments;
Part IV. Technical
Supplements:
A. Nonlinear optimization:
the classical approach;
B. Inequality Constrained
optimization;
C. Convexity and
generalizations;
D. From expected values to
order statistics.
370 pages