Depreciation games

The main aim of this paper is to show how Game Theory can be used in the day-to-day running of a company. No precedent, as far as we know, in the literature of the application of Cooperative Game Theory in order to obtain new depreciation methods for a fixed asset which is owned by a company. To this end, we will first illustrate the usual depreciation methods employed in accountancy. Then, with the objective of finding new depreciation methods, we will establish the relationship between Game Theory and Accountancy. On the basis of this relationship we introduce some new depreciation methods. Finally, a family of solutions is defined which improves the properties of traditional and previously introduced methods. Financial support from the Generalitat Valenciana through project GV05/077 is gratefully acknowledged by J. Aparicio. Financial support from the Generalitat Valenciana through project GRUPOS04/79 and from the Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia through project HI2002/0032 are gratefully acknowledged by J. Sánchez-Soriano.