Associated consistency and Shapley value

In this work, a new axiomatization of the Shapley is presented. An associated game is constructed. We define a sequence of games, when the term of order n, in this sequence, is the associated game of the term of order (n−1). We show that the sequence converges and that the limit game is inessential. The solution is obtained using the inessential game axiom, the associated consistency axiom and the continuity axiom. As a by-product, we note that neither the additivity nor the efficiency axioms are needed. Accepted September 2001     

Values on regular games under Kirchhoff’s laws

The Shapley value is a central notion defining a rational way to share the total worth of a cooperative game among players. We address a general framework leading to applications to games with communication graphs, where the feasible coalitions form a poset whose all maximal chains have the same length. Considering a new way to define the symmetry among players, we propose an axiomatization of the Shapley value of these games. Borrowing ideas from electric networks theory, we show that our symmetry axiom and the efficiency axiom correspond to the two Kirchhoff’s laws in the circuit associated to the Hasse diagram of feasible coalitions.     

基于图对策的收益分配

基于具有交流结构的合作对策,即图对策,对平均树解拓展形式的特征进行刻画,提出此解满足可加性公理。进一步地,分析了对于无圈图对策此解是分支有效的。并且当连通分支中两个局中人相关联的边删掉后,此连通分支的收益变化情况可用平均树解表示。这一性质是Shapley值和Myerson值所不具有的。最后,我们给出了模糊联盟图对策中模糊平均树解的可加性和分支有效性。     

Associated consistency and values for TU games

In the framework of the solution theory for cooperative transferable utility games, Hamiache axiomatized the well-known Shapley value as the unique one-point solution verifying the inessential game property, continuity, and associated consistency. The purpose of this paper is to extend Hamiache’s axiomatization to the class of efficient, symmetric, and linear values, of which the Shapley value is the most important representative. For this enlarged class of values, explicit relationships to the Shapley value are exploited in order to axiomatize such values with reference to a slightly adapted inessential game property, continuity, and a similar associated consistency. The latter axiom requires that the solutions of the initial game and its associated game (with the same player set, but a different characteristic function) coincide.     

The positive core of a cooperative game

The positive core is a nonempty extension of the core of transferable utility games. If the core is nonempty, then it coincides with the core. It shares many properties with the core. Six well-known axioms that are employed in some axiomatizations of the core, the prenucleolus, or the positive prekernel, and one new intuitive axiom, characterize the positive core for any infinite universe of players. This new axiom requires that the solution of a game, whenever it is nonempty, contains an element that is invariant under any symmetry of the game.     

Power Measures and Solutions for Games Under Precedence Constraints

Games under precedence constraints model situations, where players in a cooperative transferable utility game belong to some hierarchical structure, which is represented by an acyclic digraph (partial order). In this paper, we introduce the class of precedence power solutions for games under precedence constraints. These solutions are obtained by allocating the dividends in the game proportional to some power measure for acyclic digraphs. We show that all these solutions satisfy the desirable axiom of irrelevant player independence, which establishes that the payoffs assigned to relevant players are not affected by the presence of irrelevant players. We axiomatize these precedence power solutions using irrelevant player independence and an axiom that uses a digraph power measure. We give special attention to the hierarchical solution, which applies the hierarchical measure. We argue how this solution is related to the known precedence Shapley value, which does not satisfy irrelevant player independence, and thus is not a precedence power solution. We also axiomatize the hierarchical measure as a digraph power measure.     

基于Choquet积分形式的模糊联盟核心

在具有联盟结构的合作对策中,针对局中人以某种程度参与到合作中的情况,研究了模糊联盟结构的合作对策的收益分配问题。首先,定义了具有模糊联盟结构的合作对策及相关概念。其次,定义了Choquet积分形式的模糊联盟核心,提出了该核心与联盟核心之间的关系,对于强凸联盟对策,证明Choquet积分形式的模糊Owen值属于其所对应的模糊联盟核心。最后通过算例,对该分配模型的可行性进行分析。     

Consistent and covariant solutions for TU games

One of the important properties characterizing cooperative game solutions is consistency. This notion establishes connections between the solution vectors of a cooperative game and those of its reduced game. The last one is obtained from the initial game by removing one or more players and by giving them the payoffs according to a specific principle (e.g. a proposed payoff vector). Consistency of a solution means that the restriction of a solution payoff vector of the initial game to any coalition belongs to the solution set of the corresponding reduced game. There are several definitions of the reduced games (cf., e.g., the survey of T. Driessen [2]) based on some intuitively acceptable characteristics. In the paper some natural properties of reduced games are formulated, and general forms of the reduced games possessing some of them are given. The efficient, anonymous, covariant TU cooperative game solutions satisfying the consistency property with respect to any reduced game are described.The research was supported by the NWO grant 047-008-010 which is gratefully acknowledgedReceived: October 2001     

Subgame Consistent Cooperative Solutions in Stochastic Differential Games

Subgame consistency is a fundamental element in the solution of cooperative stochastic differential games. In particular, it ensures that: (i) the extension of the solution policy to a later starting time and to any possible state brought about by the prior optimal behavior of the players would remain optimal; (ii) all players do not have incentive to deviate from the initial plan. In this paper, we develop a mechanism for the derivation of the payoff distribution procedures of subgame consistent solutions in stochastic differential games with transferable payoffs. The payoff distribution procedure of the subgame consistent solution can be identified analytically under different optimality principles. Demonstration of the use of the technique for specific optimality principles is shown with an explicitly solvable game. For the first time, analytically tractable solutions of cooperative stochastic differential games with subgame consistency are derived.     

A mean value for games with communication structures

The mean value is a new extension of the Shapley value for games with communication structure representable by a simple graph; only pairwise meetings can occur, although some of them might not be permitted. The new value is characterized by a set of axioms of which the one with the most far-reaching effect is an associated consistency property already used in various contexts. The mean value of an n-player unanimity game is the arithmetic average of the mean values of (n–1)-player unanimity games with connected support, which means games in which the deleted players are not articulation point of the considered graph.I wish to thank the anonymous referees for their helpful remarks. The usual disclaimer applies.Received: April 2002/Accepted: February 2004     

Nonsymmetric values under Hart-Mass-Colell consistency

Let f be a single valued solution for cooperative TU games that satisfies inessential game property, efficiency, Hart Mas-Colell consistency and for two person games is strictly monotonic and individually unbounded. Then there exists a family of strictly increasing functions associated with players that completely determines f. For two person games, both players have equal differences between their functions at the solution point and at the values of characteristic function of their singletons. This solution for two person games is uniquely extended to n person games due to consistency and efficiency. The extension uses the potential with respect to the family of functions and generalizes potentials introduced by Hart and Mas Colell [6]. The weighted Shapley values, the proportional value described by Ortmann [11], and new values generated by power functions are among these solutions. The author is grateful to anonymous referee and Associate Editor for their comments and suggestions.     

A consistent value for games with n players and r alternatives

In Bolger [1993], an efficient value was obtained for a class of games called games with n players and r alternatives. In these games, each of the n players must choose one and only one of the r alternatives. This value can be used to determine a player’s “a priori” value in such a game. In this paper, we show that the value has a consistency property similar to the “consistency” for TU games in Hart/Mas-Colell [1989] and we present a set of axioms (including consistency) which characterizes this value.  The games considered in this paper differ from the multi-choice games considered by Hsiao and Raghavan [1993]. They consider games in which the actions of the players are ordered in the sense that, if i >j, then action i carries more “weight” than action j.  These games also differ from partition function games in that the worth of a coalition depends not only on the partitioning of the players but also on the action chosen by each subset of the partition. Received: April 1994/final version: June 1999     

Share functions for cooperative games with levels structure of cooperation

In a standard TU-game it is assumed that every subset of the player set N can form a coalition and earn its worth. One of the first models where restrictions in cooperation are considered is the one of games with coalition structure of Aumann and Drèze (1974). They assumed that the player set is partitioned into unions and that players can only cooperate within their own union. Owen (1977) introduced a value for games with coalition structure under the assumption that also the unions can cooperate among them. Winter (1989) extended this value to games with levels structure of cooperation, which consists of a game and a finite sequence of partitions defined on the player set, each of them being coarser than the previous one.     

A value for partially defined cooperative games

The Shapley value provides a method, which satisfies certain desirable axioms, of allocating benefits to the players of a cooperative game. When there aren players andn is large, the Shapley value requires a large amount of accounting because the number of coalitions grows exponentially withn. This paper proposes a modified value that shares some of the axiomatic properties of the Shapley value yet allows the consideration of games that are defined only for certain coalitions. Two different axiom systems are shown to determine the same modified value uniquely.     

Players indifferent to cooperate and characterizations of the Shapley value

In this paper we provide new axiomatizations of the Shapley value for TU-games using axioms that are based on relational aspects in the interactions among players. Some of these relational aspects, in particular the economic or social interest of each player in cooperating with each other, can be found embedded in the characteristic function. We define a particular relation among the players that it is based on mutual indifference. The first new axiom expresses that the payoffs of two players who are not indifferent to each other are affected in the same way if they become enemies and do not cooperate with each other anymore. The second new axiom expresses that the payoff of a player is not affected if players to whom it is indifferent leave the game. We show that the Shapley value is characterized by these two axioms together with the well-known efficiency axiom. Further, we show that another axiomatization of the Shapley value is obtained if we replace the second axiom and efficiency by the axiom which applies the efficiency condition to every class of indifferent players. Finally, we extend the previous results to the case of weighted Shapley values.     

On the Structural Stability of Values for Cooperative Games

It is generally assumed that any set of players can form a feasible coalition for classical cooperative games. But, in fact, some players may withdraw from the current game and form a union, if this makes them better paid than proposed. Based on the principle of coalition split, this paper presents an endogenous procedure of coalition formation by levels and bargaining for payoffs simultaneously, where the unions formed in the previous step continue to negotiate with others in the next step as “individuals,” looking for maximum share of surplus by organizing themselves as a partition. The structural stability of the induced payoff configuration is discussed, using two stability criteria of core notion for cooperative games and strong equilibrium notion for noncooperative games.

     

Parameterized fairness axioms on cycle-free graph games

We study cooperative transferable utility games with a communication structure represented by an undirected graph, i.e., a group of players can cooperate only if they are connected on the graph. This type of games is called graph games and the best-known solution for them is the Myerson value, which is characterized by the component efficiency axiom and the fairness axiom. Recently the average tree solution has been proposed on cycle-free graph games, and shown to be characterized by the component efficiency axiom and the component fairness axiom. We propose e{\epsilon} -parameterized fairness axiom on cycle-free graph games that incorporates the preceding fairness axioms, and show the existence and the uniqueness of the solution. We then discuss a relationship between the existing and our proposed solutions by a numerical example.     

Non-cooperative implementation of the nucleolus: The 3-player case

I present a non-cooperative bargaining game, in which responders may exit at any time and have endogenous outside options. When the order of proposers corresponds to the power that players have in the underlying coalitional function, the unique Markov perfect equilibrium outcome of the game is the prenucleolus. The result holds for 3-player superadditive games. An example shows that it cannot be extented to the same class of games forn players. The mechanism is inspired by the consistency property of the prenucleolus.I am grateful to Vijay Krishna, Andreu Mas-Colell, Eric Maskin, Amy Salsbury, and an anonymous referee for helpful comments and suggestions.     

A solution for noncooperative games

In this paper, we study solutions of strict noncooperative games that are played just once. The players are not allowed to communicate with each other. The main ingredient of our theory is the concept of rationalizing a set of strategies for each player of a game. We state an axiom based on this concept that every solution of a noncooperative game is required to satisfy. Strong Nash solvability is shown to be a sufficient condition for the rationalizing set to exist, but it is not necessary. Also, Nash solvability is neither necessary nor sufficient for the existence of the rationalizing set of a game. For a game with no solution (in our sense), a player is assumed to recourse to a standard of behavior. Some standards of behavior are examined and discussed.This work was sponsored by the United States Army under Contract No. DAAG29-75-C-0024 and by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. MCS-75-17385-A01. The author is grateful to J. C. Harsanyi for his comments and to S. M. Robinson for suggesting the problem.