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Simple Agents, Intelligent Markets

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Attainment of rational expectations equilibria in asset markets calls for the price system to disseminate agents� private information to others. Markets populated by human agents are known to be capable of converging to rational expectations equilibria. This paper reports comparable market outcomes when human agents are replaced by boundedly-rational algorithmic agents who use a simple means-end heuristic. These algorithmic agents lack the capability to optimize; yet outcomes of markets populated by them converge near the equilibrium derived from optimization assumptions. These findings point to market structure (rather than cognition or optimization) being an important determinant of efficient aggregate level outcomes.

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  • Karim Jamal & Michael Maier & Shyam Sunder, 2012. "Simple Agents, Intelligent Markets," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 1868R, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University, revised Mar 2015.
    • Handle: RePEc:cwl:cwldpp:1868r
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    1. Nobody knows anything
      by chris in Stumbling and Mumbling on 2016-05-03 18:04:59

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    Cited by:

    1. Lu, Dong & Zhan, Yaosong, 2022. "Over-the-counter versus double auction in asset markets with near-zero-intelligence traders," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Bounded rationality; Dissemination of asymmetric information; Efficiency of security markets; Minimally-rational agents; Rational expectations; Structural properties of markets;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C92 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Group Behavior
    • D44 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Auctions
    • D50 - Microeconomics - - General Equilibrium and Disequilibrium - - - General
    • D70 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - General
    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Insider Trading

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