Envy-freeness and maximum Nash welfare for mixed divisible and indivisible goods

Fuente: arXiv
Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Nishimura, Koichi, Sumita, Hanna
Format: Preprint
Published: 2023
Subjects:
Online Access:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866911130600865792
author Nishimura, Koichi
Sumita, Hanna
author_facet Nishimura, Koichi
Sumita, Hanna
contents We study fair allocation of resources consisting of both divisible and indivisible goods to agents with additive valuations. When only divisible or indivisible goods exist, it is known that an allocation that achieves the maximum Nash welfare (MNW) satisfies the classic fairness notions based on envy. Moreover, the literature shows the structures and characterizations of MNW allocations when valuations are binary and linear (i.e., divisible goods are homogeneous). In this paper, we show that when all agents' valuations are binary linear, an MNW allocation for mixed goods satisfies the envy-freeness up to any good for mixed goods (EFXM). This notion is stronger than an existing one called envy-freeness for mixed goods (EFM), and our result generalizes the existing results for the case when only divisible or indivisible goods exist. When all agents' valuations are binary over indivisible goods and identical over divisible goods (e.g., the divisible good is money), we extend the known characterization of an MNW allocation for indivisible goods to mixed goods, and also show that an MNW allocation satisfies EFXM. For the general additive valuations, we also provide a formal proof that an MNW allocation satisfies a weaker notion than EFM.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2302_13342
institution arXiv
publishDate 2023
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Envy-freeness and maximum Nash welfare for mixed divisible and indivisible goods
Nishimura, Koichi
Sumita, Hanna
Computer Science and Game Theory
We study fair allocation of resources consisting of both divisible and indivisible goods to agents with additive valuations. When only divisible or indivisible goods exist, it is known that an allocation that achieves the maximum Nash welfare (MNW) satisfies the classic fairness notions based on envy. Moreover, the literature shows the structures and characterizations of MNW allocations when valuations are binary and linear (i.e., divisible goods are homogeneous). In this paper, we show that when all agents' valuations are binary linear, an MNW allocation for mixed goods satisfies the envy-freeness up to any good for mixed goods (EFXM). This notion is stronger than an existing one called envy-freeness for mixed goods (EFM), and our result generalizes the existing results for the case when only divisible or indivisible goods exist. When all agents' valuations are binary over indivisible goods and identical over divisible goods (e.g., the divisible good is money), we extend the known characterization of an MNW allocation for indivisible goods to mixed goods, and also show that an MNW allocation satisfies EFXM. For the general additive valuations, we also provide a formal proof that an MNW allocation satisfies a weaker notion than EFM.
title Envy-freeness and maximum Nash welfare for mixed divisible and indivisible goods
topic Computer Science and Game Theory
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2302.13342