Multi-battle contests

Kai A. Konrad; Dan Kovenock

We study equilibrium in a multistage race in which players compete in a sequence of simultaneous move component contests. Players may win a prize for winning each component contest, as well as a prize for winning the overall race. Each component contest is an all-pay auction with complete information. We characterize the unique equilibrium analytically and demonstrate that it exhibits endogenous uncertainty. Even a large lead by one player does not fully discourage the other player, and each feasible state is reached with positive probability in equilibrium (pervasiveness). Total effort may exceed the value of the prize by a factor that is proportional to the maximum number of stages. Important applications are to war, sports, and R&D contests and the results have empirical counterparts there.

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Year of publication:	2006
Authors:	Konrad, Kai A. ; Kovenock, Daniel J.
Publisher:	Mannheim [u.a.] : Sonderforschungsbereich/Transregio 15
Subject:	all-pay auction \| contest \| race \| conflict \| multi-stage \| R&D \| endogenous uncertainty \| preemption \| discouragement \| Auktionstheorie \| Auction theory \| Dynamisches Spiel \| Dynamic game \| Spieltheorie \| Game theory \| Wettbewerb \| Competition \| Vollkommene Information \| Complete information \| Risiko \| Risk \| Nichtkooperatives Spiel \| Noncooperative game