Transcript Game Theory
Game Theory
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By the end of this section, you
should be able to….
► In
a simultaneous game played only once,
find and define:
the Nash equilibrium
dominant and dominated strategies
the Pareto Optimum
► Discuss
games.
strategies in infinitely repeated
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What is Game Theory?
► DFN:
A way of describing various possible
outcomes in any situation involving two or
more interacting individuals.
► A game is described by:
1. Players
2. Strategies of those players
3. Payoffs: the utility/profit for each of the
strategy combinations.
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Assumptions in Game Theory
► 1.
Perfect Information – Players observe all
of their rivals’ previous moves.
► 2. Common Knowledge – All players know
the structure of the game, know that their
rivals know it and their rivals know that they
know it.
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Prisoner’s Dilemma Game
There at 2 players: Player 1, and Player 2.
► Each has 2 possible strategies: Confess (C) or Do Not Confess
(DNC).
► Players only play the games once.
► Payoffs are years in jail, so they are expressed as negative
numbers. Both players want the least amount of years in jail
they can have.
►
Player 2
Player 1
C
C
DNC
DNC
C
C
-6 , -6
0 , -9
DNC
DNC
-9 , 0
-1 , -1
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Prisoner’s Dilemma Game
► How
do we “solve” this game (predict which
set of strategies will be played)?
► 1. Look for Strictly Dominant Strategies and
Strictly Dominated Strategies
Strictly Dominant Strategies - the best strategy
regardless of what other players do.
Strictly Dominated Strategies – a strategy in
which another strategy yields the player a
higher payoff regardless of what other players
do.
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Prisoner’s Dilemma Game
► 2.
Eliminate Strictly Dominated Strategies
(Player 1’s Strategy if Player 2 Confesses)
If Player 2 C and Player 1 C, Player 1 gets 6 years.
If Player 2 C and Player 1 DNC, Player 1 gets 9 years in
jail.
If Player 2 is going to Confess, # of years in jail if
Player 1 C < # of years in jail if Player 1 DNC
Thus if Player 1 thinks Player 2 is going to confess,
Player 1 is better off confessing too.
Player 1
C
DNC
Player 2
C
DNC
-6 , -6
0 , -9
-9 , 0
-1 , -1
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Prisoner’s Dilemma Game
► 2.
Eliminate Strictly Dominated Strategies
(Player 1’s Strategy if Player 2 Does Not Confess)
If Player 2 DNC and Player 1 C, Player 1 gets 0 years.
If Player 2 DNC and Player 1 DNC, Player 1 gets 1
year in jail.
If Player 2 is going to Not Confess, # of years in jail if
Player 1 C < # of years in jail if Player 1 DNC
Thus if Player 1 thinks Player 2 does not confess,
Player 1 is better off confessing.
Player 1
C
DNC
Player 2
C
DNC
-6 , -6
0 , -9
-9 , 0
-1 , -1
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Prisoner’s Dilemma Game
► 2.
Eliminate Strictly Dominated Strategies
(Player 1’s Dominant Strategy)
If Player 2 C, Player 1 is better off confessing.
If Player 2 DNC, Player 1 is better off confessing.
Regardless of what Strategy Player 2 uses, Player 1 is
better off confessing.
Thus, Confessing is a dominant strategy for Player 1
and Do Not Confess is a dominated strategy.
Player 2
Player 1
C
DNC
C
-6 , -6
-9 , 0
DNC
0 , -9
-1 , -1
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Prisoner’s Dilemma Game
► 2.
Eliminate Strictly Dominated Strategies
(Player 2’s Dominant Strategy)
Since we know it is strategic for Player 1 to play
Confess, to determine Player 2’s dominant strategy we
compare Player 2’s years in jail.
Since Player 1 C, Player 2 is better off confessing.
Thus, Confessing is a dominant strategy for Player 2
and Do Not Confess is a dominated strategy.
Player 2
Player 1
C
DNC
C
-6 , -6
-9 , 0
DNC
0 , -9
-1 , -1
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Prisoner’s Dilemma Game
► 3.
Solution to the Game
Both Players playing the strategy which is best for them
given what the other person does yields a solution at
Confess, Confess.
After all dominated strategies are eliminated, what’s left
is a Nash Equilibrium.
You can eliminate Strictly Dominated Strategies in any
order and will get the same result.
Player 2
Player 1
C
DNC
C
-6 , -6
-9 , 0
DNC
0 , -9
-1 , -1
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Nash Equilibrium
► DFN:
The result of all players playing their
best strategy given what their competitors
are doing.
Player 1 knew it is a strictly dominant strategy
for Player 2 to Confess. Thus Player 1 will
confess because they do best under that
strategy knowing what Player 2 will do and vice
versa.
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Another Way to Solve a Game
► Star
the highest payoff for one of the Players given
the other Player is locked into each strategy and
vice versa.
► Suppose Player 1 is locked into Confessing, Player
2 is better off Confessing.
► So we put a star above Player 2’s Payoff.
Player 2
Player 1
C
DNC
C
-6 , -6
-9 , 0
DNC
0 , -9
-1 , -1
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Another Way to Solve a Game
►Suppose
Player 1 is locked into Not
Confessing, Player 2 is better off
Confessing.
►So we put a star above Player 2’s
Payoff.
Player 2
Player 1
C
DNC
C
-6 , -6
-9 , 0
DNC
0 , -9
-1 , -1
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Another Way to Solve a Game
►Suppose
Player 2 is locked into
Confessing, Player 1 is better off
Confessing.
►So we put a star above Player 1’s
Payoff.
Player 2
Player 1
C
DNC
C
-6 , -6
-9 , 0
DNC
0 , -9
-1 , -1
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Another Way to Solve a Game
► Suppose
Player 2 is locked into Not
Confessing, Player 1 is better off Confessing.
► So we put a star above Player 1’s Payoff.
► (Confess, Confess) is a Nash Equilibrium
because it has two stars
Player 2
Player 1
C
DNC
C
-6 , -6
-9 , 0
DNC
0 , -9
-1 , -1
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Nash Equilibrium vs. Pareto Outcome
► Nash
Equilibrium is the result when both
players act strategically given what the other
is going to do (Confess, Confess).
► Pareto Optimum is the result that benefits
both players the most (DNC, DNC).
Player 2
Player 1
C
DNC
C
-6 , -6
-9 , 0
DNC
0 , -9
-1 , -1
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Another Game
► Suppose
now there are two Players, Row and
Column, with two Strategies each.
Row can go Up or Down
Column can go Left or Right
Row Player
Up
Down
Column Player
Left
Right
5 , 11
1 , 10
10 , 7
2,2
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Another Game – Eliminating Strictly
Dominated Strategies
► Down
is a Dominant Strategy and Up is a
Dominated Strategy. (10>5 and 2>1)
► Left is a Dominant Strategy and Right is a
Dominated Strategy. (7>2)
► Thus, (Down, Left) is a Nash Equilibrium.
Row Player
Up
Down
Column Player
Left
Right
5 , 11
1 , 10
10 , 7
2,2
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Another Game – Stars
If Column chooses Left, Row is better choosing Down (10>5)
Star Row’s payoff for (Down, Left)
► If Column chooses Right, Row is better choosing Down (2>1)
Star Row’s payoff for (Down, Right)
► If Row chooses Up, Column is better choosing Left (11>10)
Star Column’s payoff for (Up, Left)
► If Row chooses Down, Column is better choosing Left (7>2)
Star Row’s payoff for (Down, Left)
►
► Thus
(Down, Left) is the Nash Equilibrium (2 stars)
Row Player
Up
Down
Column Player
Left
Right
5 , 11
1 , 10
10 , 7
2,2
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Another Game – Nash vs. Pareto
► Notice
the Nash Equilibrium has the highest total
society payoff (Pareto Outcome).
Row Player
Up
Down
Column Player
Left
Right
5 , 11
1 , 10
10 , 7
2,2
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Another Type of Game
► Coordination
► There
are 2 Nash Equilibriums
Friend 2
Friend 1
Statue of
Liberty
Empire
State Bldg
Statue of
Liberty
8,8
Empire
State Bldg
0,0
0,0
3,3
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Another Type of Game II
► Battle
of the Sexes
► There are 2 Nash Equilibriums.
Male
Female
Ballet
Game
Ballet
8,3
0,0
Game
0,0
3,8
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Infinitely Repeated Games
► Strategies
Players can play:
1. Always play Pareto (Co-operate)
2. Always play Nash (Strategic)
3. Grimm Strategy (Punish) – play Pareto until the other
player diverges from Pareto, then play Nash.
4. Tit-for-Tat (Reciprocate) – play what the other player
played last round.
► One
of two things will happen:
1. Players Converge on Nash Equilibrium by strategically
playing Dominant Strategies.
2. Players could end up “co-operating” for the greater
good of all play Pareto.
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A Final Note on Nash Equilibrium
► Nash
Equilibrium predictions are only accurate if
each player correctly predicts what the other
player is going to do.
► For a player to accurately predict what the other
player is going to do and act on it, both players
must act strategically and NOT select Strictly
Dominated Strategies.
► But, with some other knowledge about the other
player (relationship, partner before, etc.), it could
be strategic to play other strategies.
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