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Sushil Bikhchandani

Publications and source records attributed to Sushil Bikhchandani.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

Strategy-proof and Efficient Job Matching with Participation Constraints

We study the design of strategy-proof and efficient mechanisms satisfying participation constraints in the job-matching problem. Each firm can hire multiple workers and each worker can be employed at only one firm. While firm utilities over subsets of workers are common knowledge, worker disutilities for working at each firm are private information. The VCG mechanism is the unique mechanism that is strategy-proof, efficient, and individually rational for workers; however, it may not be individual rational for firms. We show that the VCG mechanism is individually rational for firms if and only if firm utilities satisfy a condition called weak substitutes. We then strengthen participation constraints of firms to {\sl strong individual rationality}, which requires that each firm has no incentive to fire some of the workers assigned to it. The VCG mechanism is strongly individual rational if and only if firm utilities satisfy submodularity.

econ.TH↗
arXiv2024

Rank-preserving Multidimensional Mechanisms: an equivalence between identical-object and heterogeneous-object models

We show that the mechanism-design problem for a monopolist selling multiple, heterogeneous objects to a buyer with ex ante symmetric and additive values is equivalent to the mechanism-design problem for a monopolist selling identical objects to a buyer with decreasing marginal values. We derive three new results for the identical-objects model: (i) a new condition for revenue monotonicity of stochastic mechanisms, (ii) a sufficient condition on priors, such that prices in optimal deterministic mechanism are not increasing, and (iii) a simplification of incentive constraints for deterministic mechanisms. We use the equivalence to establish corresponding results in the heterogeneous-objects model.

econ.TH↗
arXiv2021

Selling Two Identical Objects

It is well-known that optimal (i.e., revenue-maximizing) selling mechanisms in multidimensional type spaces may involve randomization. We obtain conditions under which deterministic mechanisms are optimal for selling two identical, indivisible objects to a single buyer. We analyze two settings: (i) decreasing marginal values (DMV) and (ii) increasing marginal values (IMV). Thus, the values of the buyer for the two units are not independent. We show that under a well-known condition on distributions~(due to McAfee and McMillan (1988)), (a) it is optimal to sell the first unit deterministically in the DMV model and (b) it is optimal to bundle (which is a deterministic mechanism) in the IMV model. Under a stronger sufficient condition on distributions, a deterministic mechanism is optimal in the DMV model. Our results apply to heterogeneous objects when there is a specified sequence in which the two objects must be sold.

econ.TH↗
arXiv2021

Information Cascades and Social Learning

We review the theory of information cascades and social learning. Our goal is to describe in a relatively integrated and accessible way the more important themes, insights and applications of the literature as it has developed over the last thirty years. We also highlight open questions and promising directions for further theoretical and empirical exploration.

econ.TH↗