On Coincidence of Feedback Nash Equilibria and Stackelberg Equilibria in Economic Applications of Differential Games

The scope of the applicability of the feedback Stackelberg equilibrium concept in differential games is investigated. First, conditions for obtaining the coincidence between the stationary feedback Nash equilibrium and the stationary feedback Stackelberg equilibrium are given in terms of the instantaneous payoff functions of the players and the state equations of the game. Second, a class of differential games representing the underlying structure of a good number of economic applications of differential games is defined; for this class of differential games, it is shown that the stationary feedback Stackelberg equilibrium coincides with the stationary feedback Nash equilibrium. The conclusion is that the feedback Stackelberg solution is generally not useful to investigate leadership in the framework of a differential game, at least for a good number of economic applications This paper was presented at the 8th Viennese Workshop on Optimal Control, Dynamic Games, and Nonlinear Dynamics: Theory and Applications in Economics and OR/MS, Vienna, Austria, May 14–16, 2003, at the Seminar of the Instituto Complutense de Analisis Economico, Madrid, Spain, June 20, 2003, and at the Sevilla Workshop on Dynamic Economics and the Environment, Sevilla, Spain, July 2–3, 2003. The author is grateful to the participants in these sessions, in particular F.J. Andre and J. Ruiz, for their comments. Five referees provided particularly helpful suggestions. Financial support from the Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnologia under Grant BEC2000-1432 is gratefully acknowledged.     

基于有信息委托人视角的创意转化契约设计研究

为了形式化一个有信息的委托人在创意的转化过程中,与代理人缔约时所面临的信号显示问题,以创意的特性为基础,通过建立Stackelberg信号博弈模型,证明了创意转化契约分离均衡的存在性,并分析了知识产权保护强度和产业成熟度对均衡契约的影响。研究还发现,当同时存在委托人的逆向选择和代理人的道德风险时,分离均衡契约使得代理人的努力水平会产生向下的扭曲。     

Dynamic feedback Stackelberg games with non-unique solutions

Stackelberg games, which was originally introduced by Stackelberg, are widely applied in such fields as economics, management, politics and behavioral sciences. Stackelberg games can be modelled as a bi-level optimization problem. There exists an extensive literature about static bi-level optimization problems. However, the studies on dynamic bi-level optimization problems are fairly scarce in spite of the importance in explaining and predicting some phenomena rationally. In this paper, we consider discrete time dynamic Stackelberg games with feedback information. In general, the lower-level strategies are non-unique in practice. For a unique solution, dynamic programming algorithms have been presented with multiple players. We revisit dynamic programming for feedback information dynamic Stackelberg games with non-unique lower-level solution. First, we define some kind of solutions related to the decisions styles. Then, we analyze them, respectively. Moreover, dynamic programming algorithm is successful in solving solve feedback information dynamic Stackelberg games with non-unique lower-level solutions.     

Leader–Follower Dynamic Game of New Product Diffusion

The objective of this paper is to study optimal pricing strategies in a duopoly, under an asymmetric information structure, where the appropriate solution concept is the feedback Stackelberg equilibrium. In order to take into account effects such as imitation (e.g., word of mouth) and saturation, the demand (state equation) is assumed to depend on past cumulative sales, market potential, and both players' prices. We assume also that the unit production cost decreases with cumulative production (learning effects). Each player maximizes his total discounted profit over the planning horizon.The problem is formulated as a two-player discrete-time finite-horizon game. Existence results are first obtained under rather mild conditions. Since the solution of this problem is intractable by analytical methods, we use a numerical approach. Thus, we design a numerical algorithm for the computation of feedback Stackelberg equilibria and use it to obtain strategies in various representative cases. The numerical results presented are intented to give some insights into the optimal pricing strategies in the context of an asymmetrical feedback information structure.     

On the Time Consistency of Equilibria in a Class of Additively separable Differential Games

A class of state-redundant differential games is detected, where players can be partitioned into two groups, so that the state dynamics and the payoff functions of all players are additively separable w.r.t. controls and states of any two players belonging to different groups. We prove that, in this class of games, open-loop Nash and feedback Stackelberg equilibria coincide, both being strongly time consistent. This allows us to bypass the issue of the time inconsistency that typically affects the open-loop Stackelberg solution.     

Stochastic Stackelberg differential reinsurance games under time-inconsistent mean–variance framework

We study optimal reinsurance in the framework of stochastic Stackelberg differential game, in which an insurer and a reinsurer are the two players, and more specifically are considered as the follower and the leader of the Stackelberg game, respectively. An optimal reinsurance policy is determined by the Stackelberg equilibrium of the game, consisting of an optimal reinsurance strategy chosen by the insurer and an optimal reinsurance premium strategy by the reinsurer. Both the insurer and the reinsurer aim to maximize their respective mean–variance cost functionals. To overcome the time-inconsistency issue in the game, we formulate the optimization problem of each player as an embedded game and solve it via a corresponding extended Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman equation. It is found that the Stackelberg equilibrium can be achieved by the pair of a variance reinsurance premium principle and a proportional reinsurance treaty, or that of an expected value reinsurance premium principle and an excess-of-loss reinsurance treaty. Moreover, the former optimal reinsurance policy is determined by a unique, model-free Stackelberg equilibrium; the latter one, though exists, may be non-unique and model-dependent, and depend on the tail behavior of the claim-size distribution to be more specific. Our numerical analysis provides further support for necessity of integrating the insurer and the reinsurer into a unified framework. In this regard, the stochastic Stackelberg differential reinsurance game proposed in this paper is a good candidate to achieve this goal.     

Stackelberg strategies in linear-quadratic stochastic differential games

This paper obtains the Stackelberg solution to a class of two-player stochastic differential games described by linear state dynamics and quadratic objective functionals. The information structure of the problem is such that the players make independent noisy measurements of the initial state and are permitted to utilize only this information in constructing their controls. Furthermore, by the very nature of the Stackelberg solution concept, one of the players is assumed to know, in advance, the strategy of the other player (the leader). For this class of problems, we first establish existence and uniqueness of the Stackelberg solution and then relate the derivation of the leader's Stackelberg solution to the optimal solution of a nonstandard stochastic control problem. This stochastic control problem is solved in a more general context, and its solution is utilized in constructing the Stackelberg strategy of the leader. For the special case Gaussian statistics, it is shown that this optimal strategy is affine in observation of the leader. The paper also discusses numerical aspects of the Stackelberg solution under general statistics and develops algorithms which converge to the unique Stackelberg solution.This work was performed while the second author was on sabbatical leave at the Department of Applied Mathematics, Twente University of Technology, Enschede, Holland.     

Dynamic programming approach to discrete time dynamic feedback Stackelberg games with independent and dependent followers

Stackelberg games play an extremely important role in such fields as economics, management, politics and behavioral sciences. Stackelberg game can be modelled as a bilevel optimization problem. There exists extensive literature about static bilevel optimization problems. However, the studies on dynamic bilevel optimization problems are relatively scarce in spite of the importance in explaining and predicting some phenomena rationally. In this paper, we consider discrete time dynamic Stackelberg games with feedback information. Dynamic programming algorithms are presented for the solution of discrete time dynamic feedback Stackelberg games with multiple players both for independent followers and for dependent followers. When the followers act dependently, the game in this paper is a combination of Stackelberg game and Nash game.     

Optimal co-investment in supply chain infrastructure

This paper considers co-investment in a supply chain infrastructure using an inter-temporal model. We assume that firms’ capital is essentially the supply chain’s infrastructure. As a result, firms’ policies consist in selecting an optimal level of employment as well as the level of co-investment in the supply chain infrastructure. Several applications and examples are presented and open-loop, as well as feedback solutions are found for non-cooperating firms, long- and short-run investment cooperation and non-simultaneous moves (Stackelberg) firms. In particular, we show that a solution based on Nash and Stackelberg differential games provides the same level of capital investment. Thus, selecting the leader and the follower in a co-investment program does not matter. We show that in general, co-investments by firms vary both over time and across firms, and thereby render difficult the implementation of co-investment programs for future capital development. To overcome this problem, we derive conditions for firms’ investment share to remain unchanged over time and thus be easily planned.     

Quadratic integral games and causal synthesis

The game problem for an input-output system governed by a Volterra integral equation with respect to a quadratic performance functional is an untouched open problem. In this paper, it is studied by a new approach called projection causality. The main result is the causal synthesis which provides a causal feedback implementation of the optimal strategies in the saddle point sense. The linear feedback operator is determined by the solution of a Fredholm integral operator equation, which is independent of data functions and control functions. Two application examples are included. The first one is quadratic differential games of a linear system with arbitrary finite delays in the state variable and control variables. The second is the standard linear-quadratic differential games, for which it is proved that the causal synthesis can be reduced to a known result where the feedback operator is determined by the solution of a differential Riccati operator equation.

     

Existence and Uniqueness of Open-Loop Stackelberg Equilibria in Linear-Quadratic Differential Games

We present existence and uniqueness results for a hierarchical or Stackelberg equilibrium in a two-player differential game with open-loop information structure. There is a known convexity condition ensuring the existence of a Stackelberg equilibrium, which was derived by Simaan and Cruz (Ref. 1). This condition applies to games with a rather nonconflicting structure of their cost criteria. By another approach, we obtain here new sufficient existence conditions for an open-loop equilibrium in terms of the solvability of a terminal-value problem of two symmetric Riccati differential equations and a coupled system of Riccati matrix differential equations. The latter coupled system appears also in the necessary conditions, but contrary to the above as a boundary-value problem. In case that the convexity condition holds, both symmetric equations are of standard type and admit globally a positive-semidefinite solution. But the conditions apply also to more conflicting situations. Then, the corresponding Riccati differential equations may be of H-type. We obtain also different uniqueness conditions using a Lyapunov-type approach. The case of time-invariant parameters is discussed in more detail and we present a numerical example.     

双渠道供应链协调及价值扰动

本文研究了消费者选择行为给出的需求模型下双渠道供应链的协调与价值扰动问题.利用Stackelberg博弈对系统建模及其应急管理方法考虑价值扰动问题,获得了扰动前的Stackelberg博弈系统的均衡解和中心决策系统的最优解对价值扰动具有一定的橹棒性的结果,推广了供应链中的应急管理研究结果.     

Optimal derivatives design for mean–variance agents under adverse selection

We consider a problem of derivatives design under asymmetry of information: the principal sells a contingent claim to an agent, the type of whom he does not know. More precisely, the principal designs a contingent claim and prices it for each possible agent type, in such a way that each agent picks the contingent claim and pays the price that the principal designed for him. We assume that the preferences of the agent depend linearly on the parameters which determine the agent’s type; this model is rich enough to accommodate quadratic utilities. The problem then is reformulated as an optimization problem, where the optimization is performed within a class of convex functions. We prove an existence result for the provide explicit examples in the case when the agent is fully characterized by a single parameter     

Discrete time dynamic Stackelberg games with the leaders in turn

In many dynamic Stackelberg games, the leader changes at each stage. A new type of dynamic Stackelberg game is initially put forward in this paper and is called dynamic Stackelberg games with the leaders in turn, in which players act as the leaders in turn. There exist extremely comprehensive applications for dynamic Stackelberg games with the leaders in turn. On the one hand, in this work we aim to establish models for a new type of game, dynamic Stackelberg games of multiple players with leaders in turn, which are induced from some economic and political phenomena, which play exceedingly important roles in many fields. On the other hand, we hope to extend dynamic programming algorithms to the new model under feedback information structure.     

Discrete time dynamic multi-leader–follower games with stage-depending leaders under feedback information

Discrete time dynamic Stackelberg games with alternating leaders are recently brought forward by and dynamic programming algorithms are extended to discrete time dynamic Stackelberg games of two players with alternating leaders under feedback information structure. In many practical problems, there are multiple leaders and multiple followers. Moreover, the positions of leaders and followers may change at some stages. We aim to extend the results of discrete time dynamic Stackelberg games with alternating leaders to multi-leader–follower games and to obtain a new type of game, dynamic multi-leader–follower game with stage-depending leaders. To simplify the problem, all players in the model are divided into two groups. At each stage, players in one group act as leaders and the players in other group are followers. In the subsequent stage, the positions may go to the contrary. Actually, whether the players in some group act as leaders or not at some stage, depends on the information at the previous stage(s). Furthermore, dynamic programming algorithms are extended to dynamic multi-leader–follower game with stage-depending leaders under feedback information structure in this paper.     

A Nonhomogeneous Mean-Field Linear-Quadratic Optimal Control Problem and Application

In this paper, a mean-variance hedging portfolio problem is considered for mean-field stochastic differential equations. The original problem can be reformulated as a nonhomogeneous linear-quadratic optimal control problem with mean-field type. By virtue of the classical completion of squares, the optimal control is obtained in the form of state feedback. We use the theoretical results to the mean-variance hedging portfolio problem and get the optimal portfolio strategy.

     

A dynamic Stackelberg duopoly model with different strategies

In this paper, a duopoly Stackelberg model of competition on output is formulated. The firms announce plan products sequentially in planning phase and act simultaneously in production phase. For the duopoly Stackelberg model, a nonlinear dynamical system which describes the time evolution with different strategies is analyzed. We present results on existence, stability and local bifurcations of the equilibrium points. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the system with varying model parameters may drive to chaos and the loss of stability may be caused by period doubling bifurcations. It is also shown that the state variables feedback and parameter variation method can be used to keep the system from instability and chaos.     

Nash and Stackelberg Differential Games

A large class of stochastic differential games for several players is considered in this paper.The class includes Nash differential games as well as Stackelberg differential games.A mix is possible.The...     

Hierarchical optimization: An introduction

Decision problems involving multiple agents invariably lead to conflict and gaming. In recent years, multi-agent systems have been analyzed using approaches that explicitly assign to each agent a unique objective function and set of decision variables; the system is defined by a set of common constraints that affect all agents. The decisions made by each agent in these approaches affect the decisions made by the others and their objectives. When strategies are selected simultaneously, in a noncooperative manner, solutions are defined as equilibrium points [13,51] so that at optimality no player can do better by unilaterally altering his choice. There are other types of noncooperative decision problems, though, where there is a hierarchical ordering of the agents, and one set has the authority to strongly influence the preferences of the other agents. Such situations are analyzed using a concept known as a Stackelberg strategy [13, 14,46]. The hierarchical optimization problem [11, 16, 23] conceptually extends the open-loop Stackelberg model toK players. In this paper, we provide a brief introduction and survey of recent work in the literature, and summarize the contributions of this volume. It should be noted that the survey is not meant to be exhaustive, but rather to place recent papers in context.