Optimal strategic reasoning with McNaughton functions

The aim of the paper is to explore strategic reasoning in strategic games of two players with an uncountably infinite space of strategies the payoff of which is given by McNaughton functions—functions on the unit interval which are piecewise linear with integer coefficients. McNaughton functions are of a special interest for approximate reasoning as they correspond to formulas of infinitely valued Lukasiewicz logic. The paper is focused on existence and structure of Nash equilibria and algorithms for their computation. Although the existence of mixed strategy equilibria follows from a general theorem (Glicksberg, 1952) [5], nothing is known about their structure neither the theorem provides any method for computing them. The central problem of the article is to characterize the class of strategic games with McNaughton payoffs which have a finitely supported Nash equilibrium. We give a sufficient condition for finite equilibria and we propose an algorithm for recovering the corresponding equilibrium strategies. Our result easily generalizes to n-player strategic games which don't need to be strictly competitive with a payoff functions represented by piecewise linear functions with real coefficients. Our conjecture is that every game with McNaughton payoff allows for finitely supported equilibrium strategies, however we leave proving/disproving of this conjecture for future investigations.     

Separable and low-rank continuous games

In this paper, we study nonzero-sum separable games, which are continuous games whose payoffs take a sum-of-products form. Included in this subclass are all finite games and polynomial games. We investigate the structure of equilibria in separable games. We show that these games admit finitely supported Nash equilibria. Motivated by the bounds on the supports of mixed equilibria in two-player finite games in terms of the ranks of the payoff matrices, we define the notion of the rank of an n-player continuous game and use this to provide bounds on the cardinality of the support of equilibrium strategies. We present a general characterization theorem that states that a continuous game has finite rank if and only if it is separable. Using our rank results, we present an efficient algorithm for computing approximate equilibria of two-player separable games with fixed strategy spaces in time polynomial in the rank of the game. This research was funded in part by National Science Foundation grants DMI-0545910 and ECCS-0621922 and AFOSR MURI subaward 2003-07688-1.     

Robust game theory

We present a distribution-free model of incomplete-information games, both with and without private information, in which the players use a robust optimization approach to contend with payoff uncertainty. Our ``robust game' model relaxes the assumptions of Harsanyi's Bayesian game model, and provides an alternative distribution-free equilibrium concept, which we call ``robust-optimization equilibrium,' to that of the ex post equilibrium. We prove that the robust-optimization equilibria of an incomplete-information game subsume the ex post equilibria of the game and are, unlike the latter, guaranteed to exist when the game is finite and has bounded payoff uncertainty set. For arbitrary robust finite games with bounded polyhedral payoff uncertainty sets, we show that we can compute a robust-optimization equilibrium by methods analogous to those for identifying a Nash equilibrium of a finite game with complete information. In addition, we present computational results. The research of the author was partially supported by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and by the Singapore-MIT Alliance. The research of the author was partially supported by the Singapore-MIT Alliance.     

Variational inequality formulation for the games with random payoffs

We consider an n-player non-cooperative game with random payoffs and continuous strategy set for each player. The random payoffs of each player are defined using a finite dimensional random vector. We formulate this problem as a chance-constrained game by defining the payoff function of each player using a chance constraint. We first consider the case where the continuous strategy set of each player does not depend on the strategies of other players. If a random vector defining the payoffs of each player follows a multivariate elliptically symmetric distribution, we show that there exists a Nash equilibrium. We characterize the set of Nash equilibria using the solution set of a variational inequality (VI) problem. Next, we consider the case where the continuous strategy set of each player is defined by a shared constraint set. In this case, we show that there exists a generalized Nash equilibrium for elliptically symmetric distributed payoffs. Under certain conditions, we characterize the set of a generalized Nash equilibria using the solution set of a VI problem. As an application, the random payoff games arising from electricity market are studied under chance-constrained game framework.     

On Pareto equilibria in vector-valued extensive form games

In this paper we investigate the existence of Pareto equilibria in vector-valued extensive form games. In particular we show that every vector-valued extensive form game with perfect information has at least one subgame perfect Pareto equilibrium in pure strategies. If one tries to prove this and develop a vector-valued backward induction procedure in analogy to the real-valued one, one sees that different effects may occur which thus have to be taken into account: First, suppose the deciding player at a nonterminal node makes a choice such that the equilibrium payoff vector of the subgame he would enter is undominated under the equilibrium payoff vectors of the other subgames he might enter. Then this choice need not to lead to a Pareto equilibrium. Second, suppose at a nonterminal node a chance move may arise. The combination of the Pareto equilibria of the subgames to give a strategy combination of the entire game need not be a Pareto equilibrium of the entire game.     

连续区间策略下二人零和对策问题研究

考虑连续区间策略下的二人零和对策问题,研究其均衡策略的存在性。首先分析了完全信息下的二人零和对策问题,证明了该问题均衡策略的存在性并给出求解方法。然后进一步研究了收益函数不确定的不完全信息二人零和对策问题,在各局中人都认为对方是风险厌恶型的假设下,分析该类对策纯策略均衡的存在性,并通过研究纯策略均衡存在的充要条件给出判断并寻找纯策略均衡解的方法。最后给出一个数值算例,验证本文所提出方法的可行性。     

Stationary,completely mixed and symmetric optimal and equilibrium strategies in stochastic games

In this paper, we address various types of two-person stochastic games—both zero-sum and nonzero-sum, discounted and undiscounted. In particular, we address different aspects of stochastic games, namely: (1) When is a two-person stochastic game completely mixed? (2) Can we identify classes of undiscounted zero-sum stochastic games that have stationary optimal strategies? (3) When does a two-person stochastic game possess symmetric optimal/equilibrium strategies? Firstly, we provide some necessary and some sufficient conditions under which certain classes of discounted and undiscounted stochastic games are completely mixed. In particular, we show that, if a discounted zero-sum switching control stochastic game with symmetric payoff matrices has a completely mixed stationary optimal strategy, then the stochastic game is completely mixed if and only if the matrix games restricted to states are all completely mixed. Secondly, we identify certain classes of undiscounted zero-sum stochastic games that have stationary optima under specific conditions for individual payoff matrices and transition probabilities. Thirdly, we provide sufficient conditions for discounted as well as certain classes of undiscounted stochastic games to have symmetric optimal/equilibrium strategies—namely, transitions are symmetric and the payoff matrices of one player are the transpose of those of the other. We also provide a sufficient condition for the stochastic game to have a symmetric pure strategy equilibrium. We also provide examples to show the sharpness of our results.     

Internal correlation in repeated games

This paper characterizes the set of all the Nash equilibrium payoffs in two player repeated games where the signal that the players get after each stage is either trivial (does not reveal any information) or standard (the signal is the pair of actions played). It turns out that if the information is not always trivial then the set of all the Nash equilibrium payoffs coincides with the set of the correlated equilibrium payoffs. In particular, any correlated equilibrium payoff of the one shot game is also a Nash equilibrium payoff of the repeated game.For the proof we develop a scheme by which two players can generate any correlation device, using the signaling structure of the game. We present strategies with which the players internally correlate their actions without the need of an exogenous mediator.     

Distributed consensus in noncooperative inventory games

This paper deals with repeated nonsymmetric congestion games in which the players cannot observe their payoffs at each stage. Examples of applications come from sharing facilities by multiple users. We show that these games present a unique Pareto optimal Nash equilibrium that dominates all other Nash equilibria and consequently it is also the social optimum among all equilibria, as it minimizes the sum of all the players’ costs. We assume that the players adopt a best response strategy. At each stage, they construct their belief concerning others probable behavior, and then, simultaneously make a decision by optimizing their payoff based on their beliefs. Within this context, we provide a consensus protocol that allows the convergence of the players’ strategies to the Pareto optimal Nash equilibrium. The protocol allows each player to construct its belief by exchanging only some aggregate but sufficient information with a restricted number of neighbor players. Such a networked information structure has the advantages of being scalable to systems with a large number of players and of reducing each player’s data exposure to the competitors.     

Conditional Markov equilibria in discounted dynamic games

This paper introduces conditional Markov strategies in discrete-time discounted dynamic games with perfect monitoring. These are strategies in which players follow Markov policies after all histories. Policies induced by conditional Markov equilibria can be supported with the threat of reverting to the policy that yields the smallest expected equilibrium payoff for the deviator. This leads to a set-valued fixed-point characterization of equilibrium payoff functions. The result can be used for the computation of equilibria and for showing the existence in behavior strategies.     

Robust Multiple Objective Game Theory

In this paper, we propose a distribution-free model instead of considering a particular distribution for multiple objective games with incomplete information. We assume that each player does not know the exact value of the uncertain payoff parameters, but only knows that they belong to an uncertainty set. In our model, the players use a robust optimization approach for each of their objective to contend with payoff uncertainty. To formulate such a game, named “robust multiple objective games” here, we introduce three kinds of robust equilibrium under different preference structures. Then, by using a scalarization method and an existing result on the solutions for the generalized quasi-vector equilibrium problems, we obtain the existence of these robust equilibria. Finally, we give an example to illustrate our model and the existence theorems. Our results are new and fill the gap in the game theory literature.     

Nondominated Nash points: application of biobjective mixed integer programming

We study the connection between biobjective mixed integer linear programming and normal form games with two players. We first investigate computing Nash equilibria of normal form games with two players using single-objective mixed integer linear programming. Then, we define the concept of efficient (Pareto optimal) Nash equilibria. This concept is precisely equivalent to the concept of efficient solutions in multi-objective optimization, where the solutions are Nash equilibria. We prove that the set of all points in the payoff (or objective) space of a normal form game with two players corresponding to the utilities of players in an efficient Nash equilibrium, the so-called nondominated Nash points, is finite. We demonstrate that biobjective mixed integer linear programming, where the utility of each player is an objective function, can be used to compute the set of nondominated Nash points. Finally, we illustrate how the nondominated Nash points can be used to determine the disagreement point of a bargaining problem.     

大博弈中Nash均衡的存在性

研究了具有任意多个局中人的非合作博弈(大博弈)中Nash均衡的存在性.将1969年Ma的截口定理推广得到新的截口定理.用这个新的截口定理进一步证明了:1)大博弈中Nash均衡的存在性;2)纯策略集为紧度量空间而且支付函数为连续函数时,连续大博弈中混合策略Nash均衡的存在性.并且存在性定理推出了2010年Salonen的结果,即此研究结果较Salonen的结论更具普遍意义.     

Single-payoff farsighted stable sets in strategic games with dominant punishment strategies

We investigate farsighted stable sets in a class of strategic games with dominant punishment strategies. In this class of games, each player has a strategy that uniformly minimizes the other players’ payoffs for any given strategies chosen by these other players. We particularly investigate a special class of farsighted stable sets, each of which consists of strategy profiles yielding a single payoff vector. We call such a farsighted stable set as a single-payoff farsighted stable set. We propose a concept called an inclusive set that completely characterizes single-payoff farsighted stable sets in strategic games with dominant punishment strategies. We also show that the set of payoff vectors yielded by single-payoff farsighted stable sets is closely related to the strict \(\alpha \)-core in a strategic game. Furthermore, we apply the results to strategic games where each player has two strategies and strategic games associated with some market models.     

On weakly correlated and correlated equilibria in discontinuous games

This paper treats of non-zero-sum discontinuous games with compact Hausdorff strategy spaces. It is assumed that the payoff function of each player in the game is bounded, Borel measurable and is upper semicontinuous on his strategy space, for all fixed actions of the remaining players. It is shown that for each ε>0, such games possess weakly correlated ε-epuilibria introduced by Moulin and Vial as extension of correlated equilibria in the sense of Aumann. An upper semicontinuous came having weakly correlated equilibria and no correlated equilibria is discussed in details.     

Some interesting properties of maximin strategies

Since the seminal paper of Nash (1950) game theoretic literature has focused mostly on equilibrium and not on maximin (minimax) strategies. We study the properties of these strategies in non-zero-sum strategic games that possess (completely) mixed Nash equilibria. We find that under certain conditions maximin strategies have several interesting properties, some of which extend beyond 2-person strategic games. In particular, for n-person games we specify necessary and sufficient conditions for maximin strategies to yield the same expected payoffs as Nash equilibrium strategies. We also show how maximin strategies may facilitate payoff comparison across Nash equilibria as well as refine some Nash equilibrium strategies.     

Probabilities of Pure Nash Equilibria in Matrix Games when the Payoff Entries of One Player Are Randomly Selected

The Nash equilibrium in pure strategies represents an important solution concept in nonzero sum matrix games. Existence of Nash equilibria in games with known and with randomly selected payoff entries have been studied extensively. In many real games, however, a player may know his own payoff entries but not the payoff entries of the other player. In this paper, we consider nonzero sum matrix games where the payoff entries of one player are known, but the payoff entries of the other player are assumed to be randomly selected. We are interested in determining the probabilities of existence of pure Nash equilibria in such games. We characterize these probabilities by first determining the finite space of ordinal matrix games that corresponds to the infinite space of matrix games with random entries for only one player. We then partition this space into mutually exclusive spaces that correspond to games with no Nash equilibria and with r Nash equilibria. In order to effectively compute the sizes of these spaces, we introduce the concept of top-rated preferences minimal ordinal games. We then present a theorem which provides a mechanism for computing the number of games in each of these mutually exclusive spaces, which then can be used to determine the probabilities. Finally, we summarize the results by deriving the probabilities of existence of unique, nonunique, and no Nash equilibria, and we present an illustrative example.     

Unit-sphere games

This paper introduces a class of games, called unit-sphere games, in which strategies are real vectors with unit 2-norms (or, on a unit-sphere). As a result, they should no longer be interpreted as probability distributions over actions, but rather be thought of as allocations of one unit of resource to actions and the payoff effect on each action is proportional to the square root of the amount of resource allocated to that action. The new definition generates a number of interesting consequences. We first characterize the sufficient and necessary condition under which a two-player unit-sphere game has a Nash equilibrium. The characterization reduces solving a unit-sphere game to finding all eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the product matrix of individual payoff matrices. For any unit-sphere game with non-negative payoff matrices, there always exists a unique Nash equilibrium; furthermore, the unique equilibrium is efficiently reachable via Cournot adjustment. In addition, we show that any equilibrium in positive unit-sphere games corresponds to approximate equilibria in the corresponding normal-form games. Analogous but weaker results are obtained in n-player unit-sphere games.     

A note on the equilibria of the unbounded traveler’s dilemma

When there is no upward limit on admissible claims, the traveler’s dilemma admits a continuum of symmetric mixed strategy equilibria in addition to the pure strategy equilibrium in which both players ask and obtain the minimum. The payoff of any of these equilibria exceeds the payoff of the pure strategy one and any claim represents an attainable payoff. If the distinction between a large and an unbounded action set is fuzzy, this result can explain some puzzling stylized facts on the behavior of experimental subjects in the game.     

Monotone and bounded interval equilibria in a coordination game with information aggregation

We analyze how private learning in a class of games with common stochastic payoffs affects the form of equilibria, and how properties such as player welfare and the extent of strategic miscoordination relate across monotone and non-monotone equilibria. Researchers typically focus on monotone equilibria. We provide conditions under which non-monotone equilibria also exist, where players attempt to coordinate to obtain the stochastic payoff whenever signals are in a bounded interval. In bounded interval equilibria (BIE), an endogenous fear of miscoordination discourages players from coordinating to obtain the stochastic payoff when their signals suggest coordination is most beneficial. In contrast to monotone equilibria, expected payoffs from successful coordination in BIE are lower than the ex-ante expected payoff from ignoring signals and always trying to coordinate to obtain the stochastic payoff. We show that BIE only exist when, absent private information, the game would be a coordination game.