Game theory has revolutionised our understanding of industrial organisation and the traditional theory of the firm. Despite these advances, industrial economists have tended to rely on a restricted set of tools from game theory, focusing on static and repeated games to analyse firm structure and behaviour. Luca Lambertini, a leading expert on the application of differential game theory to economics, argues that many dynamic phenomena in industrial organisation (such as monopoly, oligopoly, advertising, R&D races) can be better understood and analysed through the use of differential games. After illustrating the basic elements of the theory, Lambertini guides the reader through the main models, spanning from optimal control problems describing the behaviour of a monopolist through to oligopoly games in which firms' strategies include prices, quantities and investments. This approach will be of great value to students and researchers in economics and those interested in advanced applications of game theory.

A comprehensive and self-contained exposition of the applications of optimal control and differential game theory to industrial organisation and trade.

About the Author
Luca Lambertini is Professor of Economics at the Universita degli Studi, Bologna, Italy. He is a member of the International Federation of Automatic Control, collaborator of the Dynamic Systems Program at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis and Associate Editor of Dynamic Games and Applications. He has published extensively in international journals, including Automatica, the Journal of Economic Theory, European Journal of Operational Research and the Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control.


Book Information
ISBN 9781316616499
Author Luca Lambertini
Format Paperback
Page Count 272
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 510g
Dimensions(mm) 246mm * 173mm * 17mm