Chapters * Title * Contents * Introduction * Place * System * Design * Using * Future * Bibliography
Sections
* Design * Two_Simple * Sell * MULE * MULEvsMarketPlace * Incentives * Trade_Dependence * Symmetric_Commodities * Illustrating_Externalities * Showing_The_Model
Symmetric Commodities
The commodities in MarketPlace are mirror images of each other. Each food factory requires two energy and one machinery unit,
each energy factory uses two machinery and one food unit and so on. A unit of food is worth the same number of points as a unit
of energy or machinery. Nonetheless, the prices of the different commodities soon diverge in auction. Too many players
specialize on one commodity, the food plants are placed together but the energy plants aren't, one of the food suppliers
refuses to lower her prices to something buyers will accept. By having the commodities be similar the source of the price
divergence is much easier to see.
Greg Kimberly/gregkimb@gak.com