The central idea underlying this work is to convert the Walrasian general equilibrium structure (formalized in the 1950s by Kenneth Arrow, Gerard Debreu and others) from an abstract representation of an economy into realistic models of actual economies.

These essays, though formally independent, nevertheless constitute a whole, each one preparing the way for the succeeding chapter.

This collection of readings provides a broad overview of the major theoretical concepts in the field and includes papers on industry size, quantity and price competition, entry barriers, product differentiation, incomplete information and general equilibrium with imperfect competition.