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An earlier version of this paper has been on the web since about 1989. Many people have scolded us for not publishing this paper earlier. The earlier version continues to be cited frequently. We have finally have gotten around to revising and publishing it in a paper journal. The current version is to appear in Economic Theory, sometime in 2004.

Download the Paper (304 K, PDF file) - January 1, 2004 Tell a colleague about it. Printing Tips: Select 'print as image' in the Acrobat print dialog if you have trouble printing.

ABSTRACT:
In many applications, assumptions about the log-concavity of a probability distribution allow just enough special structure to yield a workable theory. This paper catalogs a series of theorems relating log-concavity and/or log-convexity of probability density functions, distribution functions,reliability functions, and their integrals. We list a large number of commonly-used probability distributions and report the log-concavity or log-convexity of their density functions and their integrals. We also discuss a variety of applications of log-concavity that have appeared in the literature.

SUGGESTED CITATION:
Mark Bagnoli and Ted Bergstrom, "Log-concave Probability and its Applications" (January 1, 2004). Department of Economics, UCSB. Ted Bergstrom. Paper 1989D.
http://repositories.cdlib.org/ucsbecon/bergstrom/1989D