Optimal static pricing for a tree network
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Simchi-Levi_Optimal static.pdf
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569.29 KB
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Author(s)
Caro, Felipe
Simchi-Levi, David
Date Issued
April 2012
Journal
Annals of Operations Research
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Citation
Caro, Felipe, and David Simchi-Levi. “Optimal Static Pricing for a Tree Network.” Annals of Operations Research 196.1 (2012): 137–152.
Version
Author's final manuscript
Abstract
We study the static pricing problem for a network service provider in a loss system with a tree structure. In the network, multiple classes share a common inbound link and then have dedicated outbound links. The motivation is from a company that sells phone cards and needs to price calls to different destinations. We characterize the optimal static prices in order to maximize the steady-state revenue. We report new structural findings as well as alternative proofs for some known results. We compare the optimal static prices versus prices that are asymptotically optimal, and through a set of illustrative numerical examples we show that in certain cases the loss in revenue can be significant. Finally, we show that static prices obtained using the reduced load approximation of the blocking probabilities can be easily obtained and have near-optimal performance, which makes them more attractive for applications.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Terms of Use
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0
Persistent DSpace Link
DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-012-1115-4
