Oligopoly Theory (Graduate School of Economics, University of Tokyo)

Japanese|English

Correspondence

Toshihiro Matsumura, Professor, Institute of Social Science, The University of Tokyo

Anouncement

This class is presented in English if and only if at least one UTIPE student participates in this class. A student who will participate in this class should email me by 12:00 on April 6. If no UTIPE student expresses their intention to participate in this class by 12:00 on April 6, the first class held on April 7 is presented in Japanese. If you are a UTIPE student and you are interested in this class but still do not decide, please email me. I will provide additional information on this class, which is useful for them to decide whether to participate in this class.
Please feel free to visit my office if you have any questions and comments. Any questions and comments by the participants of the class are very welcome. If you do not want face-to-face communication, online communication using SKYPE, ZOOM, and WebEx is available.

Course description

The course begins with an extensive discussion of the theory of mixed oligopolies in which state-owned public enterprises compete with private enterprises. The rest of the course addresses a variety of related topics. In each topic, the standard models of private oligopolies are presented, and then, the models of mixed oligopolies are discussed. The topics include price and quantity competition, sequential-move games, endogenous timing games, spatial competition, anti-monopoly legislation, and free-entry markets.
Choose one specific theme for each class and give an explanation so that students can intuitively understand representative papers, models and fundamental mechanisms behind them. After confirming the past research results, let the students discuss the matters that have room for further researches. Students are required to attend the class after agreeing to that they expected to make contributions to the class and sometimes are asked to express their own opinions by the instructor.

Schedule (subject to change as needed)

1. Introduction: Course Description and Overview of Mixed Oligopolies
2. Quantity Competition
3. Optimal Privatization Policies in Mixed Oligopolies under Quantity Competition
4. Price Competition and Endogenous Competition Structure
5. Price Competition and Endogenous Competition Structure in Mixed Oligopolies
6. Market Structure and Competitiveness of the Markets
7. Optimal Privatization Policies and Market Structure
8. First-Mover Advantage, Second-Mover Advantage, and Endogenous Timing Games
9. Endogenous Timing in Mixed Oligopolies
10. Excess Competition and Excess Entry
11. Mixed Oligopolies at Free Entry Markets
12. Product Differentiation and Spatial Competition
13. Spatial Competition in Mixed Oligopolies

Materials


first.pdf
second.pdf
third.pdf
fourth.pdf