管理科学系学术讲座（1月19日）

时   间：2026年1月19日（周一） 13:30-15:00

地   点：管理学院思源楼524室

主   题：Online Demand Fulfillment in Highly Asymmetric Markets

主讲人：徐禛 利物浦大学管理学院助理教授

主持人：肖诗虹 复旦大学管理学院副教授

Abstract: We study online demand fulfillment with limited flexibility in highly asymmetric markets where some locations have moderate to high market shares while others have very low shares. Xu et al. (2020) is the first to establish that a positive generalized chaining gap (GCG) is a necessary and sufficient condition for bounded performance, which is defined as the expected lost sales as the total market size grows. While a high GCG signals better performance, the presence of high market asymmetry results in a low GCG and a larger performance bound, making the bound less useful for assessing actual system performance. Therefore, understanding system performance in highly asymmetric markets remains an important question. We introduce a network condition called ε-connectivity and prove that ε-connectivity is both necessary and sufficient for maintaining bounded performance in highly asymmetric markets. Additionally, we offer strategies for network design to reduce the risk of ε-disconnectivity. Our findings indicate that even the well-known long chain structure may not ensure bounded performance in highly asymmetric markets, especially when low-demand markets are dispersed throughout the network. Instead, a ‘hub and spoke’ network configuration with a shorter embedded long chain can help reduce the risk of ε-disconnectivity and enhance system performance.

Bio: Zhen Xu is currently working as an assistant professor in Management School, University of Liverpool. His research interest lies at the interface of operations research, applied probability, and machine learning, with a focus on stochastic process control, dynamic programming, supply chain management, and data-driven decision making for a variety of static and dynamic models.