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79759-01 - Vorlesung: Economics of Matching I: Foundations (3 KP)
| Semester | Herbstsemester 2026 |
| Angebotsmuster | Jedes Herbstsemester |
| Dozierende | Georg Nöldeke (georg.noeldeke@unibas.ch, BeurteilerIn) |
| Inhalt | Matching markets play a central role in economics, from school choice and college admissions to marriage, labor-market allocation, and the assignment of heterogeneous buyers to heterogeneous goods. This lecture introduces the core theoretical frameworks used to study such markets, emphasizing the economic logic underlying matching outcomes. The course first studies transferable utility matching models, in which prices play a central role in clearing the market. These models extend the competitive-market framework of microeconomics to environments in which it matters not only how much is traded, but also who trades with whom. Equilibrium therefore determines not only prices but also matching patterns. The course also studies non-transferable utility matching models, in which monetary transfers do not help resolve conflicts over who gets what with whom. The focus here is on the structure of the stable matching patterns that emerge in equilibrium and how market design affects these outcomes. The course emphasizes the rigorous study of relatively simple mathematical models. Key theoretical results are derived carefully. The predictions of these models are analyzed in detail and illustrated with examples from a range of economic contexts. Students who are interested in deepening their knowledge about the matching markets after having attended the lecture ‘Economics of Matching I – Foundations ’ during the first have the opportunity to enroll in the colloquium ‘Economics of Matching II – Applications,’ which will meet in the second half of the semester. |
| Lernziele | Students will learn the main theoretical concepts and results in matching theory, including ideas from cooperative game theory, and how these concepts can be used to analyze matching markets. They will develop the ability to formulate and study matching models in a rigorous microeconomic framework, and to understand how the presence of a matching dimension changes the analysis relative to standard competitive-market models. The course also provides the theoretical foundation for the colloquium ‘Economics of Matching II – Applications’, which builds on the material from this course to study computational and econometric aspects of matching from an applied perspective. |
| Literatur | The course is based on the sources in the following list. Specific references will be provided during the lectures. Students are encouraged to consult these sources but the lectures aim to be self-contained. - Becker, G. (1973), “A Theory of Marriage: Part I,” Journal of Political Economy 81(4), 813–846. - Chiappori, P. A. (2017), Matching with Transfers: The Economics of Love and Marriage, Princeton University Press. - Chiappori, P. A. and C. Low (2024), “Frictionless One-to-One Matching with Transfers: Theory,” Chapter 1 in The Handbook of the Economics of Matching, Volume 1, Elsevier. - Gale, D. and L. S. Shapley (1962), “College Admissions and the Stability of Marriage,” American Mathematical Monthly, 69(1), 9–15. - Häringer, G. (2018), Market Design: Auctions and Matching, MIT Press. - Rosen, S. (1974), “Hedonic Prices and Implicit Markets: Product Differentiation in Pure Competition,” Journal of Political Economy 82(1), 34-55. - Roth, A. E. and M. A. O. Sotomayor (1990), Two-Sided Matching: A Study in Game-Theoretic Modeling and Analysis, Cambridge University Press. - Sönmez, T. and M. U. Ünver (2025), “Matching under Non-Transferable Utility: Theory,” Chapter 1 in The Handbook of the Economics of Matching, Volume 2, Elsevier. |
| Teilnahmevoraussetzungen | Completed BA in Business and Economics. Students are assumed to be familiar with calculus, optimization, game theory, and microeconomic theory at a level conveyed in the BA in Business and Economics. More advanced knowledge in these fields, as covered in the courses “Advanced Mathematics of Economics”, “Game Theory,” and “Advanced Microeconomics” in the Master program, will be beneficial but is not a prerequisite. |
| Anmeldung zur Lehrveranstaltung | Registration: Please enroll in the Online Services (services.unibas.ch); Eucor-Students and mobility students of other Swiss Universities or the FHNW first have to register at the University of Basel BEFORE the start of the course and receive their login data by post (e-mail address of the University of Basel). Processing time up to a week! Detailed information can be found here: https://www.unibas.ch/de/Studium/Mobilitaet.html After successful registration you can enroll for the course in the Online Services (services.unibas.ch). Applies to everyone: Enrolment = Registration for the course and the exam! |
| Unterrichtssprache | Englisch |
| Einsatz digitaler Medien | kein spezifischer Einsatz |
| HörerInnen willkommen |
| Intervall | Wochentag | Zeit | Raum |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Freitag | 14.15-18.00 | Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Seminarraum S14 HG.32 |
Einzeltermine
| Datum | Zeit | Raum |
|---|---|---|
| Freitag 18.09.2026 | 14.15-18.00 Uhr | Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Seminarraum S14 HG.32 |
| Freitag 25.09.2026 | 14.15-18.00 Uhr | Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Seminarraum S15 HG.31 |
| Freitag 02.10.2026 | 14.15-18.00 Uhr | Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Seminarraum S14 HG.32 |
| Freitag 09.10.2026 | 14.15-18.00 Uhr | Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Seminarraum S15 HG.31 |
| Freitag 16.10.2026 | 14.15-18.00 Uhr | Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Seminarraum S14 HG.32 |
| Freitag 23.10.2026 | 14.15-18.00 Uhr | Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Seminarraum S14 HG.32 |
| Freitag 30.10.2026 | 08.15-10.00 Uhr | Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Auditorium |
| Freitag 30.10.2026 | 08.15-10.00 Uhr | Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Seminarraum S17 HG.38 |
| Module |
Modul: Field Electives in Economics and Public Policy (Masterstudium: Economics and Public Policy) Modul: Policy Field: Competition and Regulation (Masterstudium: Economics and Public Policy) Modul: Specific Electives in Economics (Masterstudium: Wirtschaftswissenschaften) |
| Prüfung | Leistungsnachweis |
| Hinweise zur Prüfung | Assessment will be based on a written in-class exam, currently planned to take place at the end of October. |
| An-/Abmeldung zur Prüfung | Anm.: Belegen Lehrveranstaltung; Abm.: stornieren |
| Wiederholungsprüfung | keine Wiederholungsprüfung |
| Skala | 1-6 0,1 |
| Belegen bei Nichtbestehen | beliebig wiederholbar |
| Zuständige Fakultät | Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät / WWZ, studiendekanat-wwz@unibas.ch |
| Anbietende Organisationseinheit | Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät / WWZ |