Equilibria of noncompact abstract economies in general almost convex strategy spaces

We first extend the concept of almost convex condition and establish a fixed point theorem for correspondences with convex values only on an almost convex subset for their ranges. This generalizes both results of Himmelberg [C.J. Himmelberg, Fixed points of compact multifunctions, J. Math. Anal. Appl. 38 (1972) 205-207] and the result of Jafari and Sehgal [F. Jafari, V.M. Sehgal, An extension to a theorem of Himmelberg, J. Math. Anal. Appl. 327 (2007) 298-301]. Furthermore, applying it, we have existence theorems for equilibria of noncompact abstract economies in general almost convex strategy spaces. Our theorems generalize the corresponding results of Zhou [Jianxin Zhou, On the existence of equilibrium for abstract economies, J. Math. Anal. Appl. 193 (1995) 839-858], Tan and Wu [K.-K. Tan, Z. Wu, A note on abstract economies with upper semicontinuous correspondence, Appl. Math. Lett. 11 (5) (1998) 21-22] in several ways. In particular, we answer the question raised by Zhou in the reference cited above in the affirmative with weaker hypotheses.