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arXiv · 2502.09014

Optimal Contest Design with Entry Restriction

Hanbing Liu·Ningyuan Li·Weian Li·Qi Qi·Changyuan Yu
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Abstract

This paper explores the design of contests involving $n$ contestants, focusing on how the designer decides on the number of contestants allowed and the prize structure with a fixed budget. We characterize the unique symmetric Bayesian Nash equilibrium of contestants and find the optimal contests design for the maximum individual effort objective and the total effort objective.

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Hanbing Liu, Ningyuan Li, Weian Li, Qi Qi, Changyuan Yu. 2025-02-13. Optimal Contest Design with Entry Restriction. https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.09014

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