An automated market maker that prices trades using a logarithmic cost function, guaranteeing bounded loss.
Cluster: Mechanism Design
An automated market maker that prices trades using a logarithmic cost function, guaranteeing bounded loss.
Referenced in 5 articles
Traces the quantitative finance toolkit from backtesting (Deflated Sharpe Ratio, combinatorial purged cross-validation) through factor models, Black-Litterman portfolio optimization, Bayesian regime detection, and machine learning, then argues each technique transfers directly to prediction markets. The core claim is that prediction markets are the purest testing environment for investment theory because binary resolution eliminates the unobservable noise that obscures strategy quality in traditional finance. Uses LMSR's mathematical identity with the softmax function to bridge quant finance and prediction market pricing.
Proposes a unified stochastic kernel (logit jump-diffusion) for prediction markets analogous to Black-Scholes for options. Treats traded probability as a risk-neutral martingale, exposing belief volatility, jump intensity, and correlation as quotable risk factors. Defines derivative instruments (variance swaps, correlation swaps, first-passage notes) for hedging belief risk.
Educational thread on the game-theoretic foundations of prediction markets. Explains why truth-telling is the dominant strategy through incentive compatibility, details how LMSR works as a proper scoring rule, and argues prediction market builders need economists and game theory experts on their teams.
Academic survey of prediction mechanism design from a mechanism design perspective. Covers scoring rules, market scoring rules (LMSR), cost-function-based market makers, dynamic parimutuel markets, incentive compatibility, combinatorial markets, and peer prediction systems for subjective events where ground truth doesn't exist.
Investigates combinatorial prediction markets, which extend the standard model to support forecasts on conditional events (e.g., A given B) and Boolean combinations of events rather than only base events. Reports experimental results comparing combinatorial versus flat market structures on forecasting accuracy and calibration. Co-authored by Robin Hanson, whose LMSR underpins most automated prediction markets.