Auction Theory and Game Theory Based Pricing of Edge Computing Resources: A Survey

The proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices and edge computing applications has heightened the demand for efficient resource allocation and pricing mechanisms. Effective pricing strategies play a crucial role in optimizing resource utilization, reducing latency, and ensuring fair resource distribution among users. Both auction theory and game theory have emerged as fundamental economic frameworks for designing pricing mechanisms in edge computing. This article presents a comprehensive survey of pricing strategies that leverage both auction and game theory, systematically categorizing existing research based on auction mechanisms and game-theoretic models. Unlike previous surveys that focus solely on auction-based pricing, this work integrates game-theoretic perspectives, providing a holistic analysis of strategic interactions in edge computing resource allocation. Furthermore, we discuss key challenges, emerging trends, and future research directions aimed at enhancing efficiency, fairness, and privacy protection in cloud-edge collaborative computing environments.