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Ignorance is bliss: rationality, information and equilibrium

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  • Sylvain Barde

    (University of Kent)

Abstract

An information-theoretic thought experiment is developed to provide a methodology for predicting endowment distributions in the absence of information on agent preferences. The allocation problem is first presented as a stylised knapsack problem. Although this knapsack allocation is intractable, the social planner can nevertheless make precise predictions concerning the endowment distribution by using its information-theoretic structure. By construction these predictions do not rest on the rationality of agents. It is also shown, however, that the knapsack problem is equivalent to a congestion game under weak assumptions, which means that the planner can nevertheless evaluate the optimality of the unobserved allocation.
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Suggested Citation

  • Sylvain Barde, 2011. "Ignorance is bliss: rationality, information and equilibrium," Documents de Travail de l'OFCE 2011-04, Observatoire Francais des Conjonctures Economiques (OFCE).
    • Handle: RePEc:fce:doctra:1104
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    File URL: http://www.ofce.sciences-po.fr/pdf/dtravail/WP2011-04.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/5l6uh8ogmqildh09h5623b6bg is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Sylvain Barde, 2011. "Back to the future: a simple solution to schelling segregation," SciencePo Working papers Main hal-01069479, HAL.
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    4. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/5l6uh8ogmqildh09h5623b6bg is not listed on IDEAS
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C62 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Existence and Stability Conditions of Equilibrium
    • D51 - Microeconomics - - General Equilibrium and Disequilibrium - - - Exchange and Production Economies
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness

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