We consider multi-stage elimination contests, where agents’ efforts at different stages generate some output for the organizers. Depending on the output function we characterize the optimal prize structure of the tournament and show that it is almost efficient. We have found that in some cases...

We study the design of information disclosure in a dynamic multi-agent research contest, where each agent privately searches for innovations and submits his best to compete for a winner-takes-all prize. We find that although submission is a onetime event for each agent, different disclosure...

The contest entails one prize and n potential bidders. Each bidder receives a signal about the value of the prize and has a signal-dependent probability of participation. All bidders bear a cost of bidding that is an increasing function of their bids. It is shown that the contest organizer...

This paper studies the effects of head starts in innovation contests. We analyze a two- firm winner-takes-all contest in which each firm decides when to stop a privately observed search for innovations (with recall). The firm with a superior innovation at the outset has a head start. The firm...

We consider multi-stage elimination contests where agents' efforts at different stages generate some output for the principal. Depending on the output function various prize structures can be optimal. If the output function depends much more on efforts applied at later stages than on those...

The auction designer has one favorite among bidders and maximizes hisutility by choosing an auction plan, i.e., choosing the auction format conditionalon the favorite's value. I show that the designer can favor one of the bidderseven if favoritism within an auction is not allowed. In this case,...

We consider multi-stage elimination contests, where agents efforts at different stages generate some output for the organizers. Depending on the output function we characterize the optimal prize structure of the tournament and show that it is almost efficient. We have found that in some cases...