Convergence of Double Auctions to Pareto Optimal Allocations in the Edgeworth Box

Abstract

Double auctions with profit-motivated human traders as well as "zero-intelligence" programmed traders have previously been shown to converge to Pareto optimal allocations in partial equilibrium settings. We show that these results remain robust in two-good general equilibrium settings and elucidate how market structure, not optimization by traders, guides efficient resource allocation.