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Michael Ostrovsky
Michael Ostrovsky
Professor, Economics
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+1 (650) 724-7280
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MichaelOstrovsky
Fred H. Merrill Professor of Economics
Academic Area: 
Economics

Research Statement

Michael Ostrovsky’s research is in the areas of game theory, market design, industrial organization, and finance. Most recently, he has analyzed the economics of carpooling and self-driving cars, the properties of internet advertising auctions, information aggregation in financial markets, stability in trading networks, and voting in shareholder meetings.

Academic Degrees

  • PhD in Business Economics, Harvard University, 2005
  • AM in Economics, Harvard University, 2003
  • BAS in Mathematics, Economics, Stanford University, 1999

Academic Appointments

  • At Stanford University since 2005
  • Research Associate, National Bureau of Economic Research, 2014 - present
  • Visiting Scientist, Google, 2013 - 2014
  • National Fellow, Hoover Institution, 2008 - 2009

Awards and Honors

  • Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship, 2011 – 2015
  • National Science Foundation Research Grant, 2011 – 2015

Publications

Journal Articles

Strategic Trading in Informationally Complex Environments
Nicolas S. Lambert, Michael Ostrovsky, Mikhail Panov. Econometrica. July 2018, Vol. 86, Issue 4, Pages 1119-1157.
Gross Substitutes and Endowed Assignment Valuations
Michael Ostrovsky, Renato Paes Leme. Theoretical Economics. September 2015, Vol. 10, Issue 3, Pages 853-865.
Stability and Competitive Equilibrium in Trading Networks
Michael Ostrovsky, John William Hatfield, Scott Duke Kominers, Alexandru Nichifor, Alexander Westkamp. Journal of Political Economy. October 2013, Vol. 121, Issue 5, Pages 966-1005.
Information Aggregation in Dynamic Markets with Strategic Traders
Michael Ostrovsky. Econometrica. November 2012, Vol. 80, Issue 6, Pages 2595-2647.
Heterogeneity and Peer Effects in Mutual Fund Proxy Voting
Michael Ostrovsky, Gregor Matvos. Journal of Financial Economics. October 2010, Vol. 98, Issue 1, Pages 90-112.
Information Disclosure and Unraveling in Matching Markets
Michael Ostrovsky, Michael Schwarz. American Economic Journal: Microeconomics. May 2010, Vol. 2, Issue 2, Pages 34-63.
Two-Sided Matching with Interdependent Values
Michael Ostrovsky, Archishman Chakraborty, Alessandro Citanna. Journal of Economic Theory. January 2010, Vol. 145, Issue 1, Pages 85-105.
Cross-Ownership, Returns, and Voting in Mergers
Gregor Matvos, Michael Ostrovsky. Journal of Financial Economics. 2008, Vol. 89, Issue 3, Pages 391-403.
Stability in Supply Chain Networks
Michael Ostrovsky. American Economic Review. 2008, Vol. 98, Issue 3, Pages 897-923.
Internet Advertising and the Generalized Second Price Auction
Benjamin Edelman, Michael Ostrovsky, Michael Schwarz. American Economic Review. 2007, Vol. 97, Issue 1, Pages 242-259.
Simple Estimators for the Parameters of Discrete Dynamic Games
Ariel Pakes, Michael Ostrovsky, Steven Berry. RAND Journal of Economics. 2007, Vol. 38, Issue 2, Pages 373–399.
Adoption of Standards under Uncertainty
Michael Ostrovsky, Michael Schwarz. RAND Journal of Economics. 2005, Vol. 36, Issue 4, Pages 816-832.

Working Papers

Carpooling and the Economics of Self-Driving Cars | PDF
Michael Ostrovsky, Michael Schwarz, February 122018
Reserve Prices in Internet Advertising Auctions: A Field Experiment | PDF
Michael Ostrovsky, Michael Schwarz2016

Teaching

Degree Courses

2018-19

MGTECON 349: Smart Pricing and Market Design

This course is an Advanced Applications option in the Economics menu. The focus of the course is on pricing mechanisms and the design of marketplaces. The pricing component of the course will handle both traditional topics, such as price...

MGTECON 615: Theory and Practice of Auction Market Design

This class will focus on several topics in auction market design and related areas. It is an advanced course, intended as a sequel to the more basic market/mechanism/auction design courses offered at the Economics department and the GSB. Students...

2017-18

MGTECON 349: Smart Pricing and Market Design

This course is an Advanced Applications option in the Economics menu. The focus of the course is on pricing mechanisms and the design of marketplaces. The pricing component of the course will handle both traditional topics, such as price...

MGTECON 615: Theory and Practice of Auction Market Design

This class will focus on several topics in auction market design and related areas. It is an advanced course, intended as a sequel to the more basic market/mechanism/auction design courses offered at the Economics department and the GSB. Students...

Stanford University Affiliations

Stanford GSB

Service to the Profession

  • Co-Director, Working Group on Market Design, National Bureau of Economic Research
  • Co-editor, American Economic Journal: Microeconomics
  • Associate Editor, Econometrica

In the Media

The Two Sides to Every Story Are Often the Same
Financial Times, July 7, 2007
The Secret to Google's Success
Bloomberg Businessweek, April 5, 2006

Insights by Stanford Business

writtenAn End to Traffic Jams? It Might Not Be a Dream
April 26, 2018
Three new technologies could end the nightmare of commuting.
writtenThe High Price of Internet Keyword Auctions
January 1, 2006
A scholar shows how the current mechanism could be adjusted to create an auction that better serves advertisers.

School News

writtenNine New Faculty Members Welcomed
September 1, 2005
Three senior professors — in accounting, organizational behavior, and marketing — have joined the Stanford GSB faculty, along with six junior faculty.

Programs for Individuals

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Transformation Program

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Research