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Game Theory Overheads. Games. A game is a formal representation of a situation in which a number of decision makers (players) interact in a setting of strategic interdependence. By that, we mean that the welfare of each decision maker depends not only on her own actions,
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Game Theory Overheads
Games A game is a formal representation of a situation in which a number of decision makers (players) interact in a setting of strategic interdependence By that, we mean that the welfare of each decision maker depends not only on her own actions, but also on the actions of the other players
Structure of a Game Players or decision makers firms consumers poker or chess players
Structure of a Game Rules of the game Who moves when What do players know and when What actions are available at various points
Structure of a Game Outcomes For each possible set of actions by the players, what is the outcome of the game?
Structure of a Game Payoffs What are the payoffs with each outcome? How do the player's rank the outcomes?
Structure of a Game Players or decision makers Rules of the game Outcomes Payoffs
Nash Equilibrium and Game Theory A set of strategies in a game is called a Nash equilibrium if, holding the strategies of all other firms constant, no firm can obtain a higher payoff by choosing a different strategy In a Nash equilibrium, no firm wants to change its strategy
The Prisoner’s Dilemma Two criminals Al “Scarface” Capone Jack “Machine Gun” McGurn Major crime Murder of 7 people on St. Valentine’s Day
Minimal evidence connecting them to massacre Plenty of evidence linking them to bootlegging
Police interrogate them in separate rooms Police offer them each a deal Finger the other guy, and walk if he don’t talk You both stay mum, we lock the both of you up for a year for bootlegging You both talk, its 20 years in the slammer But if he talks and you give us the silent treatment, its 40 years at hard labor for you
The Game in Matrix Form Machine Gun Collaborate Stay Mum Al gets 20 Jack gets 20 Al walks Jack gets 40 Collaborate Scarface Al gets 40 Jack walks Al gets 1 Jack gets 1 Stay Mum
Structure of a Game Rules of the game Who moves when -- at the same time What do players know and when -- nothing What actions are available at various points Collaborate Stay mum
Machine Gun Collaborate Stay Mum Collaborate Scarface Stay Mum Structure of a Game Outcomes Al gets 20 Jack gets 20 Al walks Jack gets 40 Al gets 40 Jack walks Al gets 1 Jack gets 1
Structure of a Game Payoffs What are the payoffs with each outcome? Years in the slammer for the player How do the player's rank the outcomes? Players prefer less years in the pen
Best response for Al “Scarface” Capone What if Jack stays mum?
Machine Gun Stay Mum Al walks Jack gets 40 Collaborate Scarface Al gets 1 Jack gets 1 Stay Mum Jack stays mum
Al gets the least years by collaborating What if Jack collaborates?
Machine Gun Collaborate Al gets 20 Jack gets 20 Collaborate Scarface Al gets 40 Jack walks Stay Mum Jack collaborates
Al gets the least years by collaborating Al has found a dominant strategy for this game Al sells out and collaborates
Best response for “Machine Gun” McGurn What if Al stays mum?
Machine Gun Collaborate Stay Mum Scarface Al gets 40 Jack walks Al gets 1 Jack gets 1 Stay Mum Al stays mum
Jack gets the least years by collaborating What if Al collaborates?
Machine Gun Collaborate Stay Mum Al gets 20 Jack gets 20 Al walks Jack gets 40 Collaborate Scarface Al collaborates
Jack gets the least years by collaborating Jack has found a dominant strategy for this game Jack sells out and collaborates
In fact Both Al and Jack sell out and get 20 years
Dominant strategies A strategy that is best for a player, no matter what strategy is chosen by the competing player is called a dominant strategy A dominant strategy is a strategy that is best for a player regardless of the strategy of the other player
If a player has a dominant strategy in a game, we can assume that the player will play that strategy If each player in a game has a dominant strategy, it is easy to find the equilibrium of the game It is simply the outcome that occurs when each player plays the dominant strategy
Equilibrium in the prisoner’s dilemma Al and Jack get 20 years If both stayed mum, each would get 1 year
The Turkey Pricing game Two stores Hy-Vee Fareway Rules of the game Game played 7 days before Thanksgiving Turkeys are the same quality
Stores place a weekly advertising supplement in the local paper stating a price for turkeys The stores do not know the price that will be submitted by the other store Two possible actions for each store Low Price High Price
Outcome Matrix Hy-Vee Low Price High Price F 1000 H 1000 F 1500 H 500 Low Price Fareway F 500 H 1500 F 1200 H 1200 High Price
Payoffs Each store gets the number in the table in dollars Store managers prefer more dollars to less
Best response for Fareway What if Hy-Vee chooses a low price?
Hy-Vee Low Price F 1000 H 1000 Low Price Fareway F 500 H 1500 High Price Hy-Vee chooses low
Fareway gets the most dollars with a low price What if Hy-Vee chooses a high price?
Hy-Vee High Price F 1500 H 500 Low Price Fareway F 1200 H 1200 High Price Hy-Vee chooses high
Fareway gets the most money with a low price Fareway has a dominant strategy for this game Fareway chooses a low price
Best response for Hy-Vee What if Fareway chooses a low price?
Hy-Vee Low Price High Price F 1000 H 1000 F 1500 H 500 Low Price Fareway Fareway chooses low
Hy-Vee gets the most dollars with a low price What if Fareway chooses a high price?
Hy-Vee Low Price High Price Fareway F 500 H 1500 F 1200 H 1200 High Price Fareway chooses high
Hy-Vee gets the most money with a low price Hy-Vee has a dominant strategy for this game Hy-Vee chooses a low price
Equilibrium in the turkey pricing game Hy-Vee and Fareway choose low prices If both chose high prices, individual and total profits would be higher The outcome (high, high) is Pareto superior to the outcome (low, low)
An outcome is said to be Pareto superior to another outcome if both both players are better off with the Pareto superior outcome
Other examples of the prisoner’s dilemma Arms race Advertising tobacco eye-glasses Common resources oil field pasture
Noncooperative oligopoly as a game Zucchini pricing game 2 players or firms -- Hank and Ken Actions: number of zucchini brought to market Firm doesn’t know other firm’s quantity Outcome is market price Payoff to each firm is its profit given price and costs
Outcome Matrix Ken 3 boxes 4 boxes H $36 K $36 H $30 K $40 3 boxes Hank H $40 K $30 H $32 K $32 4 boxes
Ken chooses 3 Ken 3 boxes H $36 K $36 3 boxes Hank H $40 K $30 4 boxes
Ken chooses 4 Ken 4 boxes H $30 K $40 3 boxes Hank H $32 K $32 4 boxes