SIM216 - Economics of platforms - SIM216 - S1P2 (S1-P2 - 2019-20)

In this course we study the economics of platforms as a key ingredient of the digital economy. In the first part of the course, we define platforms and build a typology. We discuss their usefulness and different business models. We turn then to the concept of network effects. We learn about pricing strategies of monopolist and competing platforms, discuss how a platform can grow and explorer non-pricing strategies. In the second part, we apply this knowledge to specific types of platforms (search engines, P2P, etc.) and discuss their related properties. Finally, we discuss the ex ante or ex post regulation of these markets.