Public Goods Provision in Directed Networks: A Kernel Approach

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Huang, Jingmin, Sun, Yang, Xu, Fanqi, Zhao, Wei
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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_version_ 1866912793717899264
author Huang, Jingmin
Sun, Yang
Xu, Fanqi
Zhao, Wei
author_facet Huang, Jingmin
Sun, Yang
Xu, Fanqi
Zhao, Wei
contents This paper investigates the decentralized provision of public goods in directed networks. We establish a correspondence between kernels in graph theory and specialized equilibria in which players either contribute a fixed threshold amount or free-ride entirely. Leveraging this relationship, we derive sufficient conditions for the existence and uniqueness of specialized equilibria in deterministic networks and prove that specialized equilibria exist almost surely in large random networks. We further demonstrate that enhancing network reciprocity weakly expands the set of specialized equilibria without destroying existing ones. Moreover, we propose an iterative elimination algorithm that simplifies the network while preserving equilibrium properties. Finally, we show that a Nash equilibrium is stable only if it is specialized, thereby providing dynamic justification for our focus on this equilibrium class.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2512_23193
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Public Goods Provision in Directed Networks: A Kernel Approach
Huang, Jingmin
Sun, Yang
Xu, Fanqi
Zhao, Wei
Theoretical Economics
This paper investigates the decentralized provision of public goods in directed networks. We establish a correspondence between kernels in graph theory and specialized equilibria in which players either contribute a fixed threshold amount or free-ride entirely. Leveraging this relationship, we derive sufficient conditions for the existence and uniqueness of specialized equilibria in deterministic networks and prove that specialized equilibria exist almost surely in large random networks. We further demonstrate that enhancing network reciprocity weakly expands the set of specialized equilibria without destroying existing ones. Moreover, we propose an iterative elimination algorithm that simplifies the network while preserving equilibrium properties. Finally, we show that a Nash equilibrium is stable only if it is specialized, thereby providing dynamic justification for our focus on this equilibrium class.
title Public Goods Provision in Directed Networks: A Kernel Approach
topic Theoretical Economics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.23193