The collective value: a new solution for games with coalition structures

In this study, we provide a new solution for cooperative games with coalition structures. The collective value of a player is defined as the sum of the equal division of the pure surplus obtained by his coalition from the coalitional bargaining and of his Shapley value for the internal coalition. The weighted Shapley value applied to a game played by coalitions with coalition-size weights is assigned to each coalition, reflecting the size asymmetries among coalitions. We show that the collective value matches exogenous interpretations of coalition structures and provide an axiomatic foundation of this value. A noncooperative mechanism that implements the collective value is also presented.     

On bargaining position descriptions in non-transferable utility games

We present a generalization to the Harsanyi solution for non-transferable utility (NTU) games based on non-symmetry among the players. Our notion of non-symmetry is presented by a configuration of weights which correspond to players' relative bargaining power in various coalitions. We show not only that our solution (i.e., the bargaining position solution) generalizes the Harsanyi solution, (and thus also the Shapley value), but also that almost all the non-symmetric generalizations of the Shapley value for transferable utility games known in the literature are in fact bargaining position solutions. We also show that the non-symmetric Nash solution for the bargaining problem is also a special case of our general solution. We use our general representation of non-symmetry to make a detailed comparison of all the recent extensions of the Shapley value using both a direct and an axiomatic approach.     

The Harsanyi paradox and the “right to talk” in bargaining among coalitions

We describe a coalitional value from a non-cooperative point of view, assuming coalitions are formed for the purpose of bargaining. The idea is that all the players have the same chances to make proposals. This means that players maintain their own “right to talk” when joining a coalition. The resulting value coincides with the weighted Shapley value in the game between coalitions, with weights given by the size of the coalitions. Moreover, the Harsanyi paradox (forming a coalition may be disadvantageous) disappears for convex games.     

RESTRICTED COALITIONS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF REGIONAL FISHERIES ORGANIZATIONS

ABSTRACT. In this paper, we examine a game theoretic setting in which four countries have established a regional organization for the conservation and management of straddling and highly migratory fish stocks as recommended by the United Nations Agreement. These countries consist of two coastal states and two distant water fishing nations (DWFNs). A characteristic function game approach is applied to describe the sharing of the surplus benefits from cooperation. We are specifically interested in the effect of possible coalition restrictions on these shares. According to our results the distant water fishing nations, by individually refusing to join with the coastal states, can considerably improve their negotiation position if their harvesting costs are relatively high and similar. The results show that the DWFNs may have economic reasons for negotiating as a group against coastal states. However, if the coastal states are clearly more efficient than the DWFNs then coalition restrictions may be prevented by coastal states.     

The simplified modified nucleolus of a cooperative TU-game

In the present paper, we introduce a new solution concept for TU-games, the simplified modified nucleolus or the SM-nucleolus. It is based on the idea of the modified nucleolus (the modiclus) and takes into account both the constructive power and the blocking power of a coalition. The SM-nucleolus inherits this convenient property from the modified nucleolus, but it avoids its high computational complexity. We prove that the SM-nucleolus of an arbitrary n-person TU-game coincides with the prenucleolus of a certain n-person constant-sum game, which is constructed as the average of the game and its dual. Some properties of the new solution are discussed. We show that the SM-nucleolus coincides with the Shapley value for three-person games. However, this does not hold for general n-person cooperative TU-games. To confirm this fact, a counter example is presented in the paper. On top of this, we give several examples that illustrate similarities and differences between the SM-nucleolus and well-known solution concepts for TU-games. Finally, the SM-nucleolus is applied to the weighted voting games.     

On the relationship between Shapley and Owen values

Owen value is an extension of Shapley value for cooperative games when a particular coalition structure or partition of the set of players is considered in addition. In this paper, we will obtain the Shapley value as an average of Owen values over each set of the same kind of coalition structures, i.e., coalition structures with equal number of sets sharing the same size.     

A general procedure to compute mixed modified semivalues for cooperative games with structure of coalition blocks

Semivalues are solution concepts for cooperative games that assign to each player a weighted sum of his/her marginal contributions to the coalitions, where the weights only depend on the coalition size. The Shapley value and the Banzhaf value are semivalues. Mixed modified semivalues are solutions for cooperative games when we consider a priori coalition blocks in the player set. For all these solutions, a computational procedure is offered in this paper.     

The Shapley value for cooperative games under precedence constraints

Cooperative games are considered where only those coalitions of players are feasible that respect a given precedence structure on the set of players. Strengthening the classical symmetry axiom, we obtain three axioms that give rise to a unique Shapley value in this model. The Shapley value is seen to reflect the expected marginal contribution of a player to a feasible random coalition, which allows us to evaluate the Shapley value nondeterministically. We show that every exact algorithm for the Shapley value requires an exponential number of operations already in the classical case and that even restriction to simple games is #P-hard in general. Furthermore, we outline how the multi-choice cooperative games of Hsiao and Raghavan can be treated in our context, which leads to a Shapley value that does not depend on pre-assigned weights. Finally, the relationship between the Shapley value and the permission value of Gilles, Owen and van den Brink is discussed. Both refer to formally similar models of cooperative games but reflect complementary interpretations of the precedence constraints and thus give rise to fundamentally different solution concepts.     

具有区间联盟值n人对策的Shapley值

本文提出了一类具有区间联盟收益值n人对策的Shapley值.利用区间数运算有关理论,通过建立公理化体系,对具有区间联盟收益值n人对策的Shapley值进行深入研究,证明了这类n人对策Shapley值存在性与唯一性,并给出了此Shapley值的具体表达式及一些性质.最后通过一个算例检验了其有效性与正确性.     

Cooperative games with coalition structures

Many game-theoretic solution notions have been defined or can be defined not only with reference to the all-player coalition, but also with reference to an arbitrary coalition structure. In this paper, theorems are established that connect a given solution notion, defined for a coalition structure ? with the same solution notion applied to appropriately defined games on each of the coalitions in ?. This is done for the kernel, nucleolus, bargaining set, value, core, and thevon Neumann-Morgenstern solution. It turns out that there is a single function that plays the central role in five out of the six solution notions in question, though each of these five notions is entirely different. This is an unusual instance of a game theoretic phenomenon that does not depend on a particular solution notion but holds across a wide class of such notions.     

Pyramidal values

We propose and analyze a new type of values for cooperative TU-games, which we call pyramidal values. Assuming that the grand coalition is sequentially formed, and all orderings are equally likely, we define a pyramidal value to be any expected payoff in which the entrant player receives a salary, and the rest of his marginal contribution to the just formed coalition is distributed among the incumbent players. We relate the pyramidal-type sharing scheme we propose with other sharing schemes, and we also obtain some known values by means of this kind of pyramidal procedures. In particular, we show that the Shapley value can be obtained by means of an interesting pyramidal procedure that distributes nonzero dividends among the incumbents. As a result, we obtain an alternative formulation of the Shapley value based on a measure of complementarity between two players. Finally, we introduce the family of proportional pyramidal values, in which an incumbent receives a dividend in proportion to his initial investment, measured by means of his marginal contribution.     

A note on the nucleolus for 2-convex TU games

For 2-convex n-person cooperative TU games, the nucleolus is determined as some type of constrained equal award rule. Its proof is based on Maschler, Peleg, and Shapley’s geometrical characterization for the intersection of the prekernel with the core. Pairwise bargaining ranges within the core are required to be in equilibrium. This system of non-linear equations is solved and its unique solution agrees with the nucleolus.     

On coalition formation: a game-theoretical approach

This paper deals with the question of coalition formation inn-person cooperative games. Two abstract game models of coalition formation are proposed. We then study the core and the dynamic solution of these abstract games. These models assume that there is a rule governing the allocation of payoffs to each player in each coalition structure called a payoff solution concept. The predictions of these models are characterized for the special case of games with side payments using various payoff solution concepts such as the individually rational payoffs, the core, the Shapley value and the bargaining set M₁ ⁽ⁱ⁾. Some modifications of these models are also discussed.     

一类具有限制联盟结构的合作对策的两阶段Shapley值

讨论一类具有限制联盟结构的合作对策,其中局中人通过优先联盟整体参与大联盟的合作,同时优先联盟内部有合取权限结构限制,利用两阶段Shapley值的分配思想并考虑到权限结构对优先联盟内合作的限制,给出了此类合作对策的解。 该解可看做具有联盟结构的合作对策的两阶段Shapley值的推广。 证明了该解满足的公理化条件,并验证了这些条件的独立性。     

Two-step coalition values for multichoice games

We introduce and compare several coalition values for multichoice games. Albizuri defined coalition structures and an extension of the Owen coalition value for multichoice games using the average marginal contribution of a player over a set of orderings of the player’s representatives. Following an approach used for cooperative games, we introduce a set of nested or two-step coalition values on multichoice games which measure the value of each coalition and then divide this among the players in the coalition using either a Shapley or Banzhaf value at each step. We show that when a Shapley value is used in both steps, the resulting coalition value coincides with that of Albizuri. We axiomatize the three new coalition values and show that each set of axioms, including that of Albizuri, is independent. Further we show how the multilinear extension can be used to compute the coalition values. We conclude with a brief discussion about the applicability of the different values.     

A Shapley function on a class of cooperative fuzzy games

In this paper, we make a study of the Shapley values for cooperative fuzzy games, games with fuzzy coalitions, which admit the representation of rates of players' participation to each coalition. A Shapley function has been introduced by another author as a function which derives the Shapley value from a given pair of a fuzzy game and a fuzzy coalition. However, the previously proposed axioms of the Shapley function can be considered unnatural. Furthermore, the explicit form of the function has been given only on an unnatural class of fuzzy games. We introduce and investigate a more natural class of fuzzy games. Axioms of the Shapley function are renewed and an explicit form of the Shapley function on the natural class is given. We make sure that the obtained Shapley value for a fuzzy game in the natural class has several rational properties. Finally, an illustrative example is given.     

Stability and fairness in models with a multiple membership

This article studies a model of coalition formation for the joint production (and finance) of public projects, in which agents may belong to multiple coalitions. We show that, if projects are divisible, there always exists a stable (secession-proof) structure, i.e., a structure in which no coalition would reject a proposed arrangement. When projects are indivisible, stable allocations may fail to exist and, for those cases, we resort to the least core in order to estimate the degree of instability. We also examine the compatibility of stability and fairness in metric environments with indivisible projects, where we also explore the performance of well-known solutions, such as the Shapley value and the nucleolus.     

The Shapley Valuation Function for Strategic Games in which Players Cooperate

In this note we use the Shapley value to define a valuation function. A valuation function associates with every non-empty coalition of players in a strategic game a vector of payoffs for the members of the coalition that provides these players’ valuations of cooperating in the coalition. The Shapley valuation function is defined using the lower-value based method to associate coalitional games with strategic games that was introduced in Carpente et al. (2005). We discuss axiomatic characterizations of the Shapley valuation function.     

Profit maximizing coalitions with shared capacities in distribution networks

We study the distribution network structure of multiple firms in the context of demand sensitivity to market offers. The problem consists in determining the profitability of horizontal collaboration between firms in a collaborative distribution schema. It considers the case of a set of regional distribution centers (DCs) where each DC is initially dedicated solely to one firm’s distribution activities and studies when it is beneficial that the DC owners collaborate through sharing their storage-throughput capacity. Such strategic decisions are made in order to improve the distribution capabilities of firms in terms of response time and cost-efficiency compared to the stand-alone situation. The problem is modeled as a coalition formation game in a cooperative framework, and we propose a collaborative distribution game with profit maximization. Three sharing mechanisms are modeled and tested: egalitarian allocation, proportional allocation, and Shapley value. The collaboration decision conditions for a given firm are analytically derived according to the sharing method considered and used to enhance the solution approach. Our numerical results clearly highlight the impact of this innovative collaboration opportunity on the firms’ performance in terms of distribution cost savings and revenue increases. An observed behavior is that the formation of several sub-coalitions prevails over the formation of a grand coalition, and that different cost sharing methods can lead to different sub-coalitions. We also provide managerial insights on the appropriate size of a coalition in various business instances tested, and on the key drivers that foster horizontal collaborative behavior among firms.     

A three-person cooperative game formulation of the world oil market

The world oil market is modelled as a three-person cooperative game in characteristic function form with and without side payments. The three players are the oil importing countries, the group in OPEC led by Iran and the group in OPEC led by Saudi Arabia. Various solutions of the games are studied such as the core, the Shapley value, the bargaining set and the nucleolus.