1992 Reports

Markets, Arbitrage and Social Choices

Chichilnisky, Graciela

The paper establishes a clear connection between equilibrium theory and social choice theory by showing that, for a well defined social choice problem, the conditions which are necessary and sufficient to establish existence of a competitive equilibrium. We define a condition of limited arbitrage on the preferences and the endowments of an Arrow-Debreu economy. This bounds the utility gains that the traders can afford from their initial endowments. Theorem 2 proves that limited arbitrage is necessary and sufficient for the existence of a social choice rule which allocates society's resources among individuals in a manner which depends continuously and anonymously on their preferences over allocations, and which respects unanimity. Limited arbitrage is also necessary and sufficient for the existence of a competitive equilibrium in the Arrow-Debreu economy, with or without bounds on short sales, Theorem 7. Theorem 4 proves that any market allocation can be achieved as a social choice allocation, i.e. an allocation which is maximal among all feasible allocations according to a social preference defined via a social choice rule which is continuous, anonymous and respects unanimity.