We examine dynamic search as a game in which two rivals explore (an island) for a hidden prize of known value. In every period until its discovery, the players decide how much of the unsearched area to comb. If a player finds the prize alone he wins it and the game ends. Players have a...

We develop a model of contests on networks. Each player is “connected” to a set of contests and exerts a single effort to increase the probability of winning each contest to which she is connected. We characterize equilibria under the Tullock contest success function and explore how behavior...

Anyone who has ever studied game theory knows the name Lloyd Shapley. Just recall Matching, Deferred-Acceptance Algorithm, Core, Market Games, Stochastic Games, Shapley value, and Shapley vector. But Professor Shapley was also a great lover of chess with imperfect information. Upon our first...

We study contests in which the prize depends on the number of participants, and show that equilibrium effort can be increasing, decreasing, or non-monotonic in the number of participants. This contrasts with the standard result for contests with fixed prizes in which effort is decreasing in the...

Superstars exist in classrooms and workplaces. On the one hand, superstars might intimidate others, forcing their peers to exert less effort. On the other hand, superstars might encourage others because their participation in a competition encourages everybody to “step up” their game. In...

We analyze a dynamic game in which agents strategically search for a prize/reward of known value when they cannot observe the search of others. In every period the rivals decide how much to search. The prize goes to the player who finds it first unless there is simultaneous discovery, in which...

Superstars exist in classrooms and workplaces. Superstars can either intimidate others by making their peers put in less effort, or they can encourage others by inspiring everybody to “step up” their game. In this study, we analyze direct and indirect effects of a superstar on their peers...

Superstars exist in classrooms and workplaces. Superstars can either intimidate others by making their peers put in less effort, or they can encourage others by inspiring everybody to “step up” their game. In this study, we analyze direct and indirect effects of a superstar on their peers...