The Korean Economic Review
Asymmetric Conflicts with Endogenous Dimensionality
Dan Kovenock (Tippie College of Business), Michael J. Mauboussin (Legg Mason Capital Management and Columbia Business School) and Brian Roberson (Purdue University)Year 2010Vol. 26No. 2
Abstract
This article examines a two-stage model of asymmetric conflict based onthe classic Colonel Blotto game in which players have, in the first stage, theability to increase the number of battlefields contested. It therebyendogenizes the “dimensionality” of conflict. In equilibrium, if the asymmetryin the players’ resource endowments exceeds a threshold, the weak playerchooses to add battlefields, while the strong player never does. Addingbattlefields spreads the strong player’s forces more thinly, increasing theincidence of favorable strategic mismatches for the weak player.JEL Classification: C72, D74Keywords: Asymmetric Conflict, Multi-battle Conflict, Colonel BlottoGame, Stochastic Guerilla Warfare, EndogenousDimensionality