Markets are competitive if and only if P = NP
Computer Science > Computer Science and Game Theory arXiv:2602.20415 (cs) [Submitted on 23 Feb 2026] Title:Markets are competitive if and only if P != NP Authors:Philip Z. Maymin View a PDF of the paper titled Markets are competitive if and only if P != NP, by Philip Z. Maymin View PDF Abstract:I prove that competitive market outcomes require computational intractability.
- ▪Computer Science > Computer Science and Game Theory arXiv:2602.20415 (cs) [Submitted on 23 Feb 2026] Title:Markets are competitive if and only if P != NP Authors:Philip Z.
- ▪Maymin View a PDF of the paper titled Markets are competitive if and only if P != NP, by Philip Z.
- ▪Maymin View PDF Abstract:I prove that competitive market outcomes require computational intractability.
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Computer Science > Computer Science and Game Theory arXiv:2602.20415 (cs) [Submitted on 23 Feb 2026] Title:Markets are competitive if and only if P != NP Authors:Philip Z. Maymin View a PDF of the paper titled Markets are competitive if and only if P != NP, by Philip Z. Maymin View PDF Abstract:I prove that competitive market outcomes require computational intractability. If P = NP, firms can efficiently solve the collusion detection problem, identifying deviations from cooperative agreements in complex, noisy markets and thereby making collusion sustainable as an equilibrium.
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