Score contribution per author:
α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count
We analyze the effects of future liquidity constraints on contestants’ investment in a dynamic contest model. Contestants invest in two consecutive contests to win a prize in each period. The loser of the first-period contest can be liquidity-constrained in the second period due to too little remaining wealth. The winner of the first contest can reinvest the prize in the second contest. We show that future liquidity constraints mainly affect the imbalance of the contest in the future but not today. Surprisingly, larger contest prizes decrease contestants’ future investments and amplify the imbalance of future contests. However, the contest organizer can reduce this imbalance by increasing the share of the prize money in the second contest.