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SUMMARY:Pricing\, Competition\, and Routing in Relay Networks - Edmund Yeh
 \, Electrical Engineering\, Yale University.
DTSTART:20090812T150000Z
DTEND:20090812T160000Z
UID:TALK19423@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Neil Walton
DESCRIPTION:The formation of multi-hop networks from selfish individual co
 mmunication nodes often require a structure of incentives.  We present an 
 economic incentive framework in multi-hop relay networks where nodes price
  their services and route their traffic selfishly and strategically. Each 
 node (1) makes a bid to each of its customers\, specifying a charging func
 tion and a proposed traffic share\, and (2) allocates its received traffic
  to its service providers. A node aims to maximize its profit from forward
 ing traffic.   Both games with inelastic demand and those with elastic dem
 and are considered.   We show that the socially optimal routing can always
  be induced by an equilibrium where no node can increase its profit by uni
 laterally changing its bids. Inefficient equilibria arise in oligopolies d
 ue to the monopolistic pricing power of a superior relay. It results in a 
 finite price of anarchy if marginal cost functions are concave\, and an un
 bounded price of anarchy when they are convex. Pricing games with an elast
 ic source exhibit better immunity to inefficient equilibria.  In particula
 r\, any equilibrium at which congestion control is exercised by the source
  is efficient.  In networks of general topology\, the intrinsic multi-hop 
 network structure gives rise to an infinite price of anarchy.   This pheno
 menon persists even when the source has elastic demand.\n\nJoint work with
  Yufang Xi. \n\nBiography:\n\nEdmund Yeh received his B.S. in Electrical E
 ngineering with Distinction from Stanford University in 1994\, his M.Phil 
 in Engineering from the University of Cambridge in 1995\, and his Ph.D. in
  Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT in 2001.  Since 2001
 \, he has been on the faculty at Yale University\, where he is currently a
 n Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering (with joint appointments i
 n Computer Science and Statistics). 
LOCATION:MR12\, CMS\, Wilberforce Road\, Cambridge\, CB3 0WB
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