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Stable marriages and search frictions

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  • Lauermann, Stephan
  • Nöldeke, Georg

Abstract

Stable matchings are the primary solution concept for two-sided matching markets with nontransferable utility. We investigate the strategic foundations of stability in a decentralized matching market. Towards this end, we embed the standard marriage markets in a search model with random meetings. We study the limit of steady-state equilibria as exogenous frictions vanish. The main result is that convergence of equilibrium matchings to stable matchings is guaranteed if and only if there is a unique stable matching in the underlying marriage market. Whenever there are multiple stable matchings, sequences of equilibrium matchings converging to unstable, inefficient matchings can be constructed. Thus, vanishing frictions do not guarantee the stability and efficiency of decentralized marriage markets.

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  • Lauermann, Stephan & Nöldeke, Georg, 2014. "Stable marriages and search frictions," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 163-195.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jetheo:v:151:y:2014:i:c:p:163-195
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jet.2013.11.001
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    Cited by:

    1. Lauermann, Stephan & Nöldeke, Georg, 2015. "Existence of steady-state equilibria in matching models with search frictions," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 1-4.
    2. Roberto Bonilla & Alberto Trejos, 2021. "Marriage and employment participation with wage bargaining in search equilibrium," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 68(4), pages 517-533, September.
    3. Wu, Qinggong, 2015. "A finite decentralized marriage market with bilateral search," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 216-242.
    4. Qingmin Liu & George J. Mailath & Andrew Postlewaite & Larry Samuelson, 2012. "Matching with Incomplete Information," PIER Working Paper Archive 12-032, Penn Institute for Economic Research, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania.
    5. Yenmez, M. Bumin, 2018. "A college admissions clearinghouse," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 176(C), pages 859-885.
    6. Günnur Ege Bilgin, 2024. "Decentralized Many-to-One Matching With Random Search," CRC TR 224 Discussion Paper Series crctr224_2024_541, University of Bonn and University of Mannheim, Germany.
    7. John K. Dagsvik & Zhiyang Jia, 2018. "Aggregate behavior in matching markets with flexible contracts and non-transferable representations of preferences," Discussion Papers 875, Statistics Norway, Research Department.
    8. Jean Guillaume Forand & Vikram Maheshri, 2012. "(De)Regulation and Market Thickness," Working Papers 1202, University of Waterloo, Department of Economics, revised Oct 2012.
    9. Qingmin Liu & George J. Mailath & Andrew Postlewaite & Larry Samuelson, 2010. "Stable Matching with Incomplete Information, Second Version," PIER Working Paper Archive 12-042, Penn Institute for Economic Research, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania, revised 28 Oct 2012.
    10. Daniel Huttenlocher & Hannah Li & Liang Lyu & Asuman Ozdaglar & James Siderius, 2023. "Matching of Users and Creators in Two-Sided Markets with Departures," Papers 2401.00313, arXiv.org, revised Jan 2024.
    11. Vinay Ramani & K. S. Mallikarjuna Rao, 2018. "Paths to stability and uniqueness in two-sided matching markets," International Journal of Game Theory, Springer;Game Theory Society, vol. 47(4), pages 1137-1150, November.
    12. Stephan Lauermann & Georg Nöldeke & Thomas Tröger, 2020. "The Balance Condition in Search‐and‐Matching Models," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 88(2), pages 595-618, March.
    13. Bramoullé, Yann & Rogers, Brian & Yenerdag, Erdem, 2022. "Matching with Recall," CEPR Discussion Papers 17048, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    14. Chen, Yi-Chun & Hu, Gaoji, 2020. "Learning by matching," Theoretical Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 15(1), January.
    15. Itai Ashlagi & Mark Braverman & Yash Kanoria & Peng Shi, 2020. "Clearing Matching Markets Efficiently: Informative Signals and Match Recommendations," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 66(5), pages 2163-2193, May.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Marriage market; Nontransferable utility; Stable matchings; Search frictions;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C78 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Bargaining Theory; Matching Theory
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness

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