IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/navres/v60y2013i7p557-570.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Bayesian selling problem with partial information

Author

Listed:
  • Yen‐Ming Lee
  • Sheldon M. Ross

Abstract

We introduce an optimal stopping problem for selling an asset when the fixed but unknown distribution of successive offers is from one of n possible distributions. The initial probabilities as to which is the true distribution are given and updated in a Bayesian manner as the successive offers are observed. After receiving an offer, the seller has to decide whether to accept the offer or continue to observe the next offer. Each time an offer is observed a fixed cost is incurred. We consider both the cases where recalling a past offer is allowed and where it is not allowed. For each case, a dynamic programming model and some heuristic policies are presented. Using simulation, the performances of the heuristic methods are evaluated and upper bounds on the optimal expected return are obtained. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2013

Suggested Citation

  • Yen‐Ming Lee & Sheldon M. Ross, 2013. "Bayesian selling problem with partial information," Naval Research Logistics (NRL), John Wiley & Sons, vol. 60(7), pages 557-570, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:navres:v:60:y:2013:i:7:p:557-570
    DOI: 10.1002/nav.21552
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/nav.21552
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/nav.21552?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Rothschild, Michael, 1974. "Searching for the Lowest Price When the Distribution of Prices Is Unknown," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 82(4), pages 689-711, July/Aug..
    2. Atle Seierstad, 1992. "Reservation Prices in Optimal Stopping," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 40(2), pages 409-415, April.
    3. Cyrus Derman & Gerald J. Lieberman & Sheldon M. Ross, 1972. "A Sequential Stochastic Assignment Problem," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 18(7), pages 349-355, March.
    4. S. Christian Albright, 1977. "A Bayesian Approach to a Generalized House Selling Problem," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(4), pages 432-440, December.
    5. Rosenfield, Donald B. & Shapiro, Roy D., 1981. "Optimal adaptive price search," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 1-20, August.
    6. Michael Rothschild, 1974. "Searching for the Lowest Price When the Distribution of Prices Is Unknown: A Summary," NBER Chapters, in: Annals of Economic and Social Measurement, Volume 3, number 1, pages 293-294, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Donald B. Rosenfield & Roy D. Shapiro & David A. Butler, 1983. "Optimal Strategies for Selling an Asset," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 29(9), pages 1051-1061, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Gershkov, Alex & Moldovanu, Benny, 2012. "Optimal search, learning and implementation," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 147(3), pages 881-909.
    2. Benny Moldovanu & Alex Gershkov, 2008. "The Trade-off Between Fast Learning and Dynamic Efficiency," 2008 Meeting Papers 348, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    3. Gershkov, Alex & Moldovanu, Benny, 2013. "Non-Bayesian optimal search and dynamic implementation," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 118(1), pages 121-125.
    4. Tapan Biswas & Jolian Mchardy, 2012. "Asking Price And Price Discounts: The Strategy Of Selling An Asset Under Price Uncertainty," Review of Economic Analysis, Digital Initiatives at the University of Waterloo Library, vol. 4(1), pages 17-37, June.
    5. Gerald Häubl & Benedict G. C. Dellaert & Bas Donkers, 2010. "Tunnel Vision: Local Behavioral Influences on Consumer Decisions in Product Search," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 29(3), pages 438-455, 05-06.
    6. David, Israel, 1998. "Explicit results for a class of asset-selling problems," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 110(3), pages 576-584, November.
    7. Sjur Didrik Flåm & Alf Erling Risa, 2003. "Ability, Self-Confidence, and Search," Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics (JITE), Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 159(3), pages 439-456, September.
    8. Rauh, Michael T., 1997. "A Model of Temporary Search Market Equilibrium," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 77(1), pages 128-153, November.
    9. Rafael P. Greminger, 2022. "Optimal Search and Discovery," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(5), pages 3904-3924, May.
    10. DeSarbo, Wayne S. & Choi, Jungwhan, 1998. "A latent structure double hurdle regression model for exploring heterogeneity in consumer search patterns," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 89(1-2), pages 423-455, November.
    11. Hak Chun, Young, 1996. "Selecting the best choice in the weighted secretary problem," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 92(1), pages 135-147, July.
    12. Bikhchandani, Sushil & Sharma, Sunil, 1996. "Optimal search with learning," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 20(1-3), pages 333-359.
    13. Greminger, Rafael, 2022. "Essays on consumer search," Other publications TiSEM 404020a9-8337-4950-b57f-0, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    14. Adam, Klaus, 2001. "Learning While Searching for the Best Alternative," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 101(1), pages 252-280, November.
    15. Babur De Los Santos & Ali Hortacsu & Matthijs R. Wildenbeest, 2012. "Testing Models of Consumer Search Using Data on Web Browsing and Purchasing Behavior," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 102(6), pages 2955-2980, October.
    16. Babur De los Santos & Ali Hortacsu & Matthijs R. Wildenbeest, 2009. "Testing Models of Consumer Search Using Data on Web Browsing Behavior," Working Papers 09-23, NET Institute, revised Aug 2009.
    17. Anton J. Kleywegt & Jason D. Papastavrou, 2001. "The Dynamic and Stochastic Knapsack Problem with Random Sized Items," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 49(1), pages 26-41, February.
    18. Greminger, Rafael, 2019. "Optimal Search and Awareness Expansion," Other publications TiSEM ac47e6ff-42a4-4d70-addd-6, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    19. Babur De los Santos & Ali Hortacsu & Matthijs R. Wildenbeest, 2012. "Search with Learning," Working Papers 2012-03, Indiana University, Kelley School of Business, Department of Business Economics and Public Policy.
    20. David, Israel & Levi, Ofer, 2001. "Asset-selling problems with holding costs," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(1-3), pages 317-321, May.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:navres:v:60:y:2013:i:7:p:557-570. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://doi.org/10.1002/(ISSN)1520-6750 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.