Warm-glow giving in networks with multiple public goods

This paper explores a voluntary contribution game in the presence of warm-glow effects. There are many public goods and each public good benefits a different group of players. The structure of the game induces a bipartite network structure, where players are listed on one side and the public good groups they form are listed on the other side. The main result of the paper shows the existence and uniqueness of a Nash equilibrium. The unique Nash equilibrium is also shown to be asymptotically stable. Then the paper provides some comparative statics analysis regarding pure redistribution, taxation and subsidies. It appears that small redistributions of wealth may sometimes be neutral, but generally, the effects of redistributive policies depend on how public good groups are related in the contribution network structure.     

An improved public goods game model with reputation effect on the spatial lattices

How to model the evolution of cooperation within the population is an important and interdisciplinary issue across the academia. In this paper, we propose an improved public goods game model with reputation effect on spatial lattices to investigate the evolution of cooperation regarding the allocation of public resources. In our model, we modify the individual utility or fitness as a product of the present payoff and reputation-related power function, and strategy update adopts a Fermi-like probability function during the game evolution. Meanwhile, for an interaction between a pair of partners, the reputation of a cooperative agent will be accrued beyond two units, but the defective player will decrease his reputation by one unit. Extensive Monte Carlo numerical simulations indicate the introduction of reputation will foster the formation of cooperative clusters, and greatly enhance the level of public cooperation on the spatial lattices. The larger reputation factor leads to the higher cooperation level since the reputation effect will be enormously embedded into the utility evaluation under this scenario. The current results are vastly beneficial to understand the persistence and emergence of cooperation among many natural, social and synthetic systems, and also provide some useful suggestions to devise the feasible social governance measures and modes for the public resources or affairs.     

Strategy changing penalty promotes cooperation in spatial prisoner’s dilemma game

Many classical studies suggest that punishment is a useful way to promote cooperation in the well-mixed public goods game, whereas relative evidence in the research of spatial prisoner’s dilemma game is absent. To address this issue, we introduce a mechanism of strategy changing penalty, combining memory and penalty during the update process, into spatial prisoner’s dilemma game. We find that increasing penalty rate or memory length is able to promote the evolution of cooperation monotonously. Compared with traditional version, recorded penalty could facilitate cooperation better. Moreover, through examining the process of evolution, we provide an interpretation for this promotion phenomenon, namely, the effect of promotion can be warranted by an evolution resonance of standard deviation of fitness coefficient. Finally, we validate our results by studying the impact of uncertainty within strategy adoptions on the evolution of cooperation. We hope that our work may shed light on the understanding of the cooperative behavior in the society.     

The core of an economy with multilateral environmental externalities

When environmental externalities are international — i.e. transfrontier — they most often are multilateral and embody public good characteristics. Improving upon inefficient laissez-faire equilibria requires voluntary cooperation for which the game-theoretic core concept provides optimal outcomes that have interesting properties against free riding. To define the core, however, the characteristic function of the game associated with the economy (which specifies the payoff achievable by each possible coalition of players—here, the countries) must also reflect in each case the behavior of the players which are not members of the coalition. This has been for a long time a disputed issue in the theory of the core of economies with externalities. Among the several assumptions that can be made as to this behaviour, a plausible one is defined in this paper, for which it is shown that the core of the game is nonempty. The proof is constructive in the sense that it exhibits a strategy (specifying an explicit coordinated abatement policy and including financial transfers) that has the desired property of nondomination by any proper coalition of countries, given the assumed behavior of the other countries. This strategy is also shown to have an equilibrium interpretation in the economic model.     

Effect of local information within network layers on the evolution of cooperation in duplex public goods games

Traditional works of public goods game (PGG) are often studied in simplex networks where agents play games through the same type of social interactions. In order to promote cooperation against the defection in PGGs in simplex network environment, many mechanisms have been proposed from different perspectives, such as the volunteering mechanisms, and the punishment and reward approaches. However, due to diverse types of interactions between agents in reality, the study of PGG should also consider the characteristic of multiplexity of networks. Hence, we firstly model the public goods game in the duplex network (for simplification of analysis, the duplex network is considered), in which agents have two types of social interactions, and thus the network is modeled as two network layers. This type of PGG is naturally named as duplex public goods game (D-PGG), in which agents can select one of the network layers to allocate their limited resources. Then for the new game environment (D-PGG), we propose a novel perspective to promote cooperation: degrading the information integrity, i.e., agents get information just from one network layer (local information) rather than from the whole duplex network (global information) in the evolution process. Finally, through theoretical analyses and simulations, we find that if agents imitate based on the local information of the payoff in the evolution, cooperation can be generally promoted; and the extent of promotion depends on both the network structure and the similarity of the network layers.     

Inverse Stackelberg Public Goods Game with Multiple Hierarchies Under Global and Local Information Structures

This paper studies the inverse Stackelberg game with multiple hierarchies under global and local information structures, where the players have discrete strategy spaces. For the classic public goods game, we solve the pure-strategy inverse Stackelberg equilibria under three typical hierarchical structures. The results reveal some counterintuitive characteristics within the systems with hierarchies, such as that the cooperation does not increase with the return rate at the equilibria. Furthermore, by defining a local information structure, we give an estimate of the fewest hierarchies required for full cooperation, which can be a constant multiple of the logarithm or square root of the population size or of the population size itself, according to different information structures and return rates. This paper proposes a novel mechanism to play the game and promote cooperation. Both the formulation and analysis method are different from existing works, and the results can find their ample implications in practice, which might help decision making in hierarchical systems.     

Reputation-based mutual selection rule promotes cooperation in spatial threshold public goods games

Most previous studies involving public goods games are investigated under a simplifying assumption that participation is either compulsive or unidirectional optional in collective interactions. Nevertheless, how the mutual selection rule, a more realistic participation mode, affects the evolution of cooperation in structured populations is still unclear. Here we introduce a reputation-based mutual selection rule for constituting participant groups into spatial threshold public goods games, where the public goods game can be conducted only if the participant number is not less than the threshold parameter. Interestingly, we find that moderate tolerance range results in the best environment for cooperators’ viability. Also, we show that lower member threshold is favorable for the evolution of cooperation, and correspondingly provide some typical snapshots for defectors, “active” cooperators (cooperators on which the public goods games are successfully conducted), and “inactive” cooperators. Moreover, we investigate the effects of memory factor in individuals’ reputation updating on the evolution of cooperation. Our work may provide an appropriate and alternative perspective in understanding the widespread cooperative behaviors in some realistic situations.     

Coalition-proof equilibria in a voluntary participation game

We examine the coalition-proof equilibria of a participation game in the provision of a (pure) public good. We study which Nash equilibria are achieved through cooperation, and we investigate coalition-proof equilibria under strict and weak domination. We show that under some incentive condition, (i) a profile of strategies is a coalition-proof equilibrium under strict domination if and only if it is a Nash equilibrium that is not strictly Pareto-dominated by any other Nash equilibrium and (ii) every strict Nash equilibrium for non-participants is a coalition-proof equilibrium under weak domination.     

基于关系契约视角的农户与农产品电子商务企业合作机制演化博弈分析

本文基于关系契约的视角,运用演化博弈理论,构建有限理性特性下的农户与农产品电子商务企业合作演化博弈模型,分析双方合作策略的演进过程、稳定策略及其影响因素,并通过Matlab仿真模拟分析影响双方合作策略选择的因素,验证博弈结果正确性。研究结果表明:农户和农产品电子商务企业选择合作策略与合作投入成本、实现的超额收益密切相关,博弈初始状态、再交易成本、单方不合作获得的收益及违约罚金等因素影响系统的演化稳定结果。因此完善农户与农产品电子商务企业的合作机制,需要构建合理的利益分配机制、良好的关系治理机制、有效的监督和惩罚机制和信息共享、沟通与协调机制。     

Cooperation in dividing the cake

This paper defines models of cooperation among players partitioning a completely divisible good (such as a cake or a piece of land). The novelty of our approach lies in the players’ ability to form coalitions before the actual division of the good with the aim to maximize the average utility of the coalition. A social welfare function which takes into account coalitions drives the division. In addition, we derive a cooperative game which measures the performance of each coalition. This game is compared with the game in which players start cooperating only after the good has been portioned and has been allocated among the players. We show that a modified version of the game played before the division outperforms the game played after the division.     

The different cooperative behaviors on a kind of scale-free networks with identical degree sequence

The power-law degree distribution of scale-free networks plays an important role in the bloom of cooperation in the evolutionary games performed on them. In this paper we apply prisoner’s dilemma and public goods game on a family of scale-free networks with the same degree sequence, and show that power-law behavior alone does not determine the cooperative behavior in scale-free networks. Instead, we present that the direct connections among large-degree nodes have a crucial influence on the evolution of cooperation in the scale-free network family.     

The rational weakness of strong ties: Failure of group solidarity in a highly cohesive group of rational agents

Recent research (Flache, 1996; Flache and Macy, 1996) suggests a "weakness of strong ties." Cohesive social networks may undermine group solidarity, rather than sustain it. In the original analysis, simulations showed that adaptive actors learn cooperation in bilateral exchanges faster than cooperation in more complex group exchanges, favoring ties at the expense of the common good. This article uses game theory to demonstrate that cognitive simplicity is not a scope condition for the result. The game theoretical analysis identifies a new condition for the failure of group solidarity in a cohesive group. Task uncertainty may make rational cooperation increasingly inefficient in common good production. Accordingly, rational actors may increasingly sacrifice benefits from common good production in order to maintain social ties, as their dependence on peer approval rises.     

不确定性环境下的经理人与股东合作博弈分析

针对不确定环境下的合作博弈问题，引入置信与丘奎特积分，给出了其均衡定义及求解方法。将上述方法应用到公司治理结构中，对经理人与股东在不确定性环境下的合作博弈进行求解，通过比较其均衡与非合作博弈均衡结果，说明该方法能够给双方带来更多的收益，从而实现帕累托改进。     

阈值风险下的多企业合作治理污染的演化博弈分析

针对环境污染具有跨区域性,环境资源的公共物品属性,由单一产污企业治理污染物难以取得有效成果,辖区内多个产污企业合作治理是环境保护的必由之路。 本文从演化博弈论的研究视角探讨了多个排污企业之间的决策演化过程,建立了多主体演化博弈模型,并考虑了污染排放总量超过总量阈值时的环境恶化风险,研究阈值风险对产污企业合作治理污染策略选择的影响。 研究结果表明,较高的治理成本很大地约束了逐利企业治理污染的行为选择,造成公地悲剧的社会问题。 企业治污成本较大背景下,环境阈值风险发生概率越高,越能有效促进合作治理环境策略的演化稳定,合作治理占优于不治理。 出于对企业自身初始禀赋的保护,产污企业初始禀赋越大、排污收费率越高,越能有效促进企业治理污染物的积极性。 最后,为促进辖区内污染企业合作治理污染提出了政策建议。     

Mutual punishment promotes cooperation in the spatial public goods game

Punishment has been proved to be an effective mechanism to sustain cooperation among selfish individuals. In previous studies, punishment is unidirectional: an individual i can punish j but j cannot punish i. In this paper, we propose a mechanism of mutual punishment, in which the two individuals will punish each other if their strategies are different. Because of the symmetry in imposing the punishment, one might expect intuitively the strategy to have little effect on cooperation. Surprisingly, we find that the mutual punishment can promote cooperation in the spatial public goods game. Other pertinent quantities such as the time evolution of cooperator density and the spatial distribution of cooperators and defectors are also investigated.     

基于微分博弈的区域经济合作行为分析

针对区域经济合作行为问题,构建微分博弈模型,将区域合作情况分为弱弱型拮抗博弈、强弱型主从博弈、强强型协同博弈三类,并考察其最优努力策略、最优收益与联盟总体收益变化.研究结果显示:①地区间经济合作努力程度随着合作成本系数、产出漏损系数的上升而下降,随着边际努力产出系数、边际努力收益系数、产出影响系数的上升而上升;②"激励因子"作为一种激励机制,可提高地区间合作努力度、最优收益及联盟整体收益;③三种类型中,强强性协同博弈最优策略及整体最优收益均严格优于其他两种情形.但这种协同合作需要确定联盟整体收益分配系数的取值范围.     

Utilization of mathematical programming for public systems: An application to effective formation of integrated regional information networks

This paper concerns a methodological reflection on the multiobjective approach to public systems which involve group decision processes. Particular attention is given to an integrated program of regional systems which include value trade-offs between multiple objectives. Our intention is to combine the judgmental processes with the optimization processes in the soft public systems. A two-layer approach is applied. At the first layer, each regional program is formulated in mathematical programming based on a utility assessment with different regional characteristics. Each subsystem independently reflects its particular concern as a single agent. The dual optimal solutions obtained for each subsystem are treated as an index, or the theoretical prices, representing the value trade-offs among the multiple objectives. At the second layer, an effective formation of interregional cooperation for compromising the conflicting regional interests is examined. Ann-person cooperative game in the characteristic function form is used to evaluate the effectiveness of the cooperation. The characteristic function for the game is derived on the incremental value of the regional benefit after the formation of a cooperation. The nucleolus and the augmented nucleolus as the solution concepts of the cooperative game are used for indicating the effectiveness of the cooperation. Finally using alternative criteria, the results in assessing the best decisions are examined comparatively.     

On sequential and simultaneous contributions under incomplete information

When contributors to a common cause (or public good) are uncertain about each others’ valuations, early contributors are likely to be cautious in free-riding on future contributors. Contrary to the case of complete information, when contributors have independent private valuations for the public good, the expected total contribution generated in a sequential move game may be higher than in a simultaneous move game. This is established in a conventional framework with quasi-linear utility where agents care only about the total provision of the public good (rather than individual contribution levels) and there is no non-convexity in the provision of the public good. We allow for arbitrary number of agents and fairly general distribution of types.     

On the core of cost-revenue games: Minimum cost spanning tree games with revenues

In this paper, we analyze cost sharing problems arising from a general service by explicitly taking into account the generated revenues. To this cost-revenue sharing problem, we associate a cooperative game with transferable utility, called cost-revenue game. By considering cooperation among the agents using the general service, the value of a coalition is defined as the maximum net revenues that the coalition may obtain by means of cooperation. As a result, a coalition may profit from not allowing all its members to get the service that generates the revenues. We focus on the study of the core of cost-revenue games. Under the assumption that cooperation among the members of the grand coalition grants the use of the service under consideration to all its members, it is shown that a cost-revenue game has a nonempty core for any vector of revenues if, and only if, the dual game of the cost game has a large core. Using this result, we investigate minimum cost spanning tree games with revenues. We show that if every connection cost can take only two values (low or high cost), then, the corresponding minimum cost spanning tree game with revenues has a nonempty core. Furthermore, we provide an example of a minimum cost spanning tree game with revenues with an empty core where every connection cost can take only one of three values (low, medium, or high cost).     

Link formation in cooperative situations

In this paper we study the endogenous formation of cooperation structures or communication graphs between players in a superadditive TU game. For each cooperation structure that is formed, the payoffs to the players are determined by an exogenously given solution. We model the process of cooperation structure formation as a game in strategic form. It is shown that several equilibrium refinements predict the formation of the complete cooperation structure or some structure which is payoff-equivalent to the complete structure. These results are obtained for a large class of solutions for cooperative games with cooperation structures. Received September 1995/Revised version I October 1996/Revised version II April 1997/Final version September 1997