Distributional Competition
Abstract
I study symmetric competitions in which each player chooses an arbitrary distribution over a one-dimensional performance index, subject to a convex cost. I establish existence of a symmetric equilibrium, document various properties it must possess, and provide a characterization via the first-order approach. Manifold applications--to R\&D competition, oligopolistic competition with product design, and rank-order contests--follow.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Game Theory and Applications
Merger and Competition Analysis
Auction Theory and Applications
Publication details
- Journal / source
- arXiv (Cornell University)
- Publication date
- 29 January 2026
- Document type
- Preprint