arXiv subjects

Özgün Ekici

Publications and source records attributed to Özgün Ekici.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Pair rationality and top trading cycles on single-peaked and single-dipped domains

In a recent study, Ekici and Yenmez (2026) characterize top trading cycles (TTC) on the unrestricted domain by strategy-proofness, individual rationality, and pair rationality, uncovering a correspondence between the axiomatic foundations of TTC and deferred acceptance, matching theory's two canonical rules. We show that their characterization fails on the single-peaked domain, but it holds on the single-dipped domain even without strategy-proofness. They also show that pair rationality can be replaced in their characterization by two weaker conditions concerning agents' first and second choices. In contrast, this replacement fails on the single-dipped domain, even when strategy-proofness is imposed.

econ.TH↗

arXiv2026

Minimally rational reallocation of objects

Matching theory has largely evolved around two canonical rules: deferred acceptance (DA) in the marriage problem and top trading cycles (TTC) in the object reallocation problem. Although the two rules operate through different procedures, we show that they rest on a common axiomatic foundation. In the marriage problem, stability decomposes into individual rationality and pair rationality, and a classic result characterizes DA by these two axioms together with strategy-proofness for the proposing side. We show that individual rationality, pair rationality, and strategy-proofness likewise characterize TTC. More strongly, three weak rationality axioms concerning individuals and pairs, together with strategy-proofness, uniquely determine TTC. Even weak rationality requirements therefore rule out strategy-proof implementation when there is a cap on the size of exchange cycles.

econ.TH↗

arXiv2026

Rawlsian equity: a new notion of fairness for the assignment problem

We introduce Rawlsian equity, a notion of fairness for allocating indivisible objects among agents without object-specific entitlements. Rawlsian equity requires that an object not be assigned to an agent who ranks it more highly than another agent unless the latter receives a more preferred object. We show that the set of Rawlsian equitable allocations coincides with the set of stable allocations in an auxiliary market where object priorities depend on agents' preference reports. The agent-proposing deferred acceptance algorithm computes the agent-optimal element of this set, but no Rawlsian equitable rule is strategy-proof in general.

econ.TH↗