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Antoine Jacquet

Publications and source records attributed to Antoine Jacquet.

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Substitutability, equilibrium transport, and matching models

This chapter explores the role of substitutability in economic models, particularly in the context of optimal transport and matching models. In equilibrium models with substitutability, market-clearing prices can often be recovered using coordinate update methods such as Jacobi's algorithm. We provide a detailed mathematical analysis of models with substitutability through the lens of Z- and M-functions, in particular regarding their role in ensuring the convergence of Jacobi's algorithm. The chapter proceeds by studying matching models using substitutability, first focusing on models with (imperfectly) transferable utility, and then on models with non-transferable utility. In both cases, the text reviews theoretical implications as well as computational approaches (Sinkhorn, Gale--Shapley), and highlights a practical economic application.

econ.TH

Aggregate Stable Matching with Money Burning

We propose an aggregate notion of non-transferable utility (NTU) stability for decentralized matching markets with fixed prices, where market clearing is achieved through one-sided money burning, which can be interpreted as waiting. Agents are grouped into observable types and are indifferent among individuals within type; equilibrium is defined at the type level and delivers equal indirect utility within each type. We introduce money burning into two types of NTU models: In a deterministic model, we relate our notion to classical Gale--Shapley stability and show how money burning decentralizes stable outcomes under aggregation. We then introduce separable random utility, obtaining an NTU counterpart to Choo and Siow (2006). We prove the existence and uniqueness of equilibrium and provide a stationary queueing interpretation. Finally, we develop a generalized deferred acceptance algorithm based on alternating constrained discrete-choice problems and prove its convergence to the unique equilibrium.

econ.TH

Transferable Utility Matching Beyond Logit: Computation and Estimation with General Heterogeneity

We present a general framework for matching with transferable utility (TU) that accommodates arbitrary heterogeneity without relying on the logit structure. The optimal assignment problem is characterized by tractable linear programming formulation, allowing flexible error distributions and correlation patterns. We introduce an iterative algorithm that solves large-scale assignment problems with guaranteed convergence and an intuitive economic interpretation, and we show how the same structure supports a simulated moment-matching estimator of the systematic surplus. Experiments using simulated data demonstrate the algorithm's scalability and the estimator's consistency under correct specification, as well as systematic bias arising from logit misspecification.

econ.EM

Earth Observation Satellite Scheduling with Graph Neural Networks and Monte Carlo Tree Search

Earth Observation Satellite Planning (EOSP) is a difficult optimization problem with considerable practical interest. A set of requested observations must be scheduled on an agile Earth observation satellite while respecting constraints on their visibility window, as well as maneuver constraints that impose varying delays between successive observations. In addition, the problem is largely oversubscribed: there are much more candidate observations than can possibly be achieved. Therefore, one must select the set of observations that will be performed while maximizing their cumulative benefit and propose a feasible schedule for these observations. As previous work mostly focused on heuristic and iterative search algorithms, this paper presents a new technique for selecting and scheduling observations based on Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) and Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL). GNNs are used to extract relevant information from the graphs representing instances of the EOSP, and DRL drives the search for optimal schedules. A post-learning search step based on Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) is added that is able to find even better solutions. Experiments show that it is able to learn on small problem instances and generalize to larger real-world instances, with very competitive performance compared to traditional approaches.

cs.AI

Learning to Solve Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling Problems with Duration Uncertainty using Graph Neural Networks

The Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling Problem (RCPSP) is a classical scheduling problem that has received significant attention due to of its numerous applications in industry. However, in practice, task durations are subject to uncertainty that must be considered in order to propose resilient scheduling. In this paper, we address the RCPSP variant with uncertain tasks duration (modeled using known probabilities) and aim to minimize the overall expected project duration. Our objective is to produce a baseline schedule that can be reused multiple times in an industrial setting regardless of the actual duration scenario. We leverage Graph Neural Networks in conjunction with Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) to develop an effective policy for task scheduling. This policy operates similarly to a priority dispatch rule and is paired with a Serial Schedule Generation Scheme to produce a schedule. Our empirical evaluation on standard benchmarks demonstrates the approach's superiority in terms of performance and its ability to generalize. The developed framework, Wheatley, is made publicly available online to facilitate further research and reproducibility.

cs.AI

The matching problem with linear transfers is equivalent to a hide-and-seek game

Matching problems with linearly transferable utility (LTU) generalize the well-studied transferable utility (TU) case by relaxing the assumption that utility is transferred one-for-one within matched pairs. We show that LTU matching problems can be reframed as nonzero-sum games between two players, thus generalizing a result from von Neumann. The underlying linear programming structure of TU matching problems, however, is lost when moving to LTU. These results draw a new bridge between non-TU matching problems and the theory of bimatrix games, with consequences notably regarding the computation of stable outcomes.

econ.TH

Learning to Solve Job Shop Scheduling under Uncertainty

Job-Shop Scheduling Problem (JSSP) is a combinatorial optimization problem where tasks need to be scheduled on machines in order to minimize criteria such as makespan or delay. To address more realistic scenarios, we associate a probability distribution with the duration of each task. Our objective is to generate a robust schedule, i.e. that minimizes the average makespan. This paper introduces a new approach that leverages Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) techniques to search for robust solutions, emphasizing JSSPs with uncertain durations. Key contributions of this research include: (1) advancements in DRL applications to JSSPs, enhancing generalization and scalability, (2) a novel method for addressing JSSPs with uncertain durations. The Wheatley approach, which integrates Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) and DRL, is made publicly available for further research and applications.

cs.AI