2003 journal article

Fuzzy formulation of auctions and optimal sequencing for multiple auctions

FUZZY SETS AND SYSTEMS, 142(3), 421–441.

By: S. Fang n, H. Nuttle n & D. Wang*

author keywords: auction; sequencing; fuzzy sets; electronic commerce
TL;DR: A fuzzy set based formulation of auctions, which defines fuzzy sets to represent the seller and buyers’ valuations, bid possibilities and win possibilities, and a soft computing approach to maximize the seller's revenue in multiple-object auctions through the use of object sequencing. (via Semantic Scholar)
UN Sustainable Development Goal Categories
10. Reduced Inequalities (Web of Science; OpenAlex)
Source: Web Of Science
Added: August 6, 2018

Current research on auctions is mainly based on the game theory. In the first part of this paper, we propose a fuzzy set based formulation of auctions. We define fuzzy sets to represent the seller and buyers' valuations, bid possibilities and win possibilities. Analyzing the properties of these fuzzy sets, we study fuzzy versions of discriminating and nondiscriminating bidding strategies for each bidder in a single-object auction by using Bellman and Zadeh's concept of confluence of fuzzy decisions instead of the game theoretic Nash equilibrium. The monotonically decreasing membership function replaces of the corresponding distribution density function in Milgrom and Weber's auction theory. In the second part of the paper, we develop a soft computing approach to maximize the seller's revenue in multiple-object auctions through the use of object sequencing. The proposed sequencing approach is based on "fuzzy rule quantification". Numerical experience shows the potential of the proposed approach for application in practical auctions.