News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:Markets are competitive if and only if P = NP by silentmafia on Friday July 03, 2026 @11:59AM (#48776563)
A 2010 entry by the same author:

Markets are efficient if and only if P = NP https://arxiv.org/abs/1002.2284

:)

Re:Markets are competitive if and only if P = NP by Dibby053 on Friday July 03, 2026 @12:15PM (#48776733)
So markets can only be (perfectly) efficient or competitive, not both at the same time. Largely theoretical but it tracks common sense!
Re:Markets are competitive if and only if P = NP by ffsm8 on Friday July 03, 2026 @12:26PM (#48776843)
The title on this HN submission is just wrong. Click on the link and find out.
Re:Markets are competitive if and only if P = NP by seizethecheese on Friday July 03, 2026 @01:24PM (#48777472)
The title is wrong but you’re also wrong. Read the abstract of the paper. Here’s the relevant section:

> Combined with Maymin (2011), who proved that market efficiency requires P = NP, this yields a fundamental impossibility: markets can be informationally efficient or competitive, but not both.

Re:Markets are competitive if and only if P = NP by abejfehr on Friday July 03, 2026 @12:35PM (#48776940)
isn't that what they're saying with "not both at the same time"? the papers both have opposite signs, one has != and the other has =
Re:Markets are competitive if and only if P = NP by ffsm8 on Friday July 03, 2026 @02:21PM (#48778148)
Without the braces around the perfectly I would have understood it... yeah, I think I was misinterpreting what he meant to say
Re:Markets are competitive if and only if P = NP by p-e-w on Friday July 03, 2026 @12:06PM (#48776647)
Assuming the original result is correct, isn’t the linked paper simply a corollary?
Re:Markets are competitive if and only if P = NP by philipwhiuk on Friday July 03, 2026 @12:37PM (#48776965)
The newer paper expands on the work of the former.
Re:Markets are competitive if and only if P = NP by dheera on Friday July 03, 2026 @01:09PM (#48777307)
In a P=NP world, it still takes only one uninformed participant to make the market inefficient. I don't think the implication is bidirectionally true unless you assume every single player is rational, infinitely smart, and has access to the same set of information.
Re:Markets are competitive if and only if P = NP by samrus on Friday July 03, 2026 @01:20PM (#48777440)
Its game theory so perfect play is assumed. Spherical cows and all that