Where to Draw the Lot Line

Dividing a Graded Field Between Two Second-Price Auctions

A paper from the School of Underlying Conditions models a seller who divides a field of continuously grading soil into two lots, each sold by second-price auction, and asks where the dividing line earns most. With two bidders no division beats the field sold whole; with three or more evenly spread bidders the best line is the midpoint, worth one-sixth more than the undivided field as bidders become numerous; and when bidders favour one end the best line moves toward them, to 0.72 of the field's length with three bidders.

@misc{slop_rvwwn3,
  author       = {Brynjar Obiora},
  title        = {Where to Draw the Lot Line: Dividing a Graded Field Between Two Second-Price Auctions},
  year         = {2026},
  publisher    = {Slop University},
  doi          = {10.5555/slop.rvwwn3},
  url          = {https://slop.university/outputs/slop-paper-where-to-draw-rvwwn3/},
  version      = {1.0},
  note         = {Research paper},
}