Auctions: Theory and Practice

This book is a non-technical introduction to auction theory; its practical application in auction design (including many examples); and its uses in other parts of economics. It can be used for a graduate course on auction theory, or – by picking selectively – an advanced undergraduate or MBA course on auctions and auction design. Part A introduces the basic theory. Part B shows how modern auction-theoretic tools illuminate a range of mainstream economic questions that are superficially unconnected with auctions. Part C discusses practical auction design. Part D describes the one-hundred-billion dollar 3G mobile-phone license auctions. None of the writing is technical, except in the Appendices.