Essays on Microeconomic Problems in Multilateral Settings

This thesis consists of three chapters on microeconomic problems in multilateral settings. In the first chapter, I use a model with two local bidders and a global bidder in a simultaneous ascending auction. I find that the simultaneous ascending auction does not allocate two heterogeneous objects efficiently. This result holds with and without resale and is independent of the resale mechanism. Then I use a fixed resale mechanism with take-it-or-leave-it offers after the auction to study the effects of resale on allocation efficiency. In cases where the two local bidders win the objects inefficiently, no resale occurs. Therefore, whenever the simultaneous ascending auction overdiffuses the objects to the local bidders, resale cannot correct this inefficiency. However, whenever the simultaneous ascending auction overconcentrates the objects to the global bidder, the global bidder can resell the objects to the local bidders. The second chapter studies the effects of resale on the efficiency of simultaneous ascending auctions with more general resale mechanisms. In this paper, speculation by the local bidders is allowed in the simultaneous ascending auction. I look for efficient mechanisms in multilateral settings, if they exist given the beliefs, and use these mechanisms as the resale mechanisms after the auction. The simultaneous ascending auction can grossly misallocate the objects by allocating the objects to the speculators but there exist efficient resale mechanisms that can restore full efficiency. In the final chapter, I use a model with a committee and two project sponsors. The committee members decide which one of the two projects to approve. Each project sponsor can choose to disclose information about his project to select committee members. If a committee member receives information from a sponsor, he can choose to investigate the project at a cost to learn his own payoff from the project. After that, the committee members decide which project to implement. As competition between the projects gets stronger, there is more information disclosure from the sponsors

Multiplicity results of periodic solutions for a class of first order delay differential equations

AbstractThis paper is concerned with the periodic boundary value problem(1){u′(t)=−Λu(t+r)−f(t,u(t−r)),u(0)=−u(2r),u(0)=u(4r) where r>0 is a given constant, −π2r<Λ<3π2r is a parameter, and f∈C(R1×Rn,Rn) satisfies f(t+r,z)=f(t,z) for all z∈Rn. The variational principle is given and some multiplicity results of periodic solutions of (1) are obtained via variational methods

What Users Trust in Paying-for-knowledge: An Empirical Study of Chinese Online Q&A Community

In the era of information explosion, desire for high-quality information has triggered the development of paying-for-knowledge. Even paying-for-knowledge has interesting business model, there are several problems to be solved, and one of the most salient problem is what influences users’ payment behaviors. Previous researches indicate that trust is one of the most important factors in paying-for-knowledge. However, the specific influence mechanism of trust remains unknown. In this paper, we tried to estimate the effects of character trust and situational trust. For validating our hypotheses, text analysis and economics are combined in this research. The authors find that competence-based trust, benevolence-based trust and situational trust all have positive effects on consumers\u27 behavior of paying-for-knowledge. The findings are expected to help the sustainable development of paying-for-knowledge

Development of a trench cutting re-mixing deep wall method model test device

The trench cutting re-mixing deep wall (TRD) is a new type of underground waterproof curtain. Mixing uniformity is the key index affecting the efficiency and quality of this method. However, because of many influencing factors, existing theories cannot be used to express the relationship between various factors and mixing uniformity. By analyzing the cutting and mixing process of the TRD method, the main factors affecting the uniformity of the mixing were obtained. A model test device was designed and manufactured, based on Buckingham's pi theorem. The validity of the model test device was verified through a comparative analysis of model and field test results. The model test device was demonstrated to be able to simulate the mixing process of the TRD method. The results provide guidance for promotion and better application of the TRD method