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Game Theory
Definitions of Terms From Games of Strategy by Dixit
62
Economics
Undergraduate 1
12/29/2010

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Term
Non-Cooperative Game
Definition
Games in which join action agreements are not enforceable
Term
Screening
Definition
strategy of a less-informed player to elicit information credibly from a more informed player
Term
Signaling
Definition
strategy of a more informed player to convey his “good” information credibly to a less informed player
Term
Strategic Uncertainty
Definition
a player uncertainty about an opponent’s moves made in the past or made at the same time as her own.
Term
Rollback
Definition
analyzing the choices that rational players will make at all nodes of a game, starting at the terminal nodes and working backward to the initial node.
Term
Assurance Game
Definition
a game where each player has two strategies, say cooperate and not, such that the best response of each is to cooperate if the other cooperates, not if not, and the outcome from (cooperate, cooperate) is better for both than the outcome of (not, not)
Term
Best Response
Definition
the strategy that is optimal for one player, given the strategies actually played by the other players, or the belief of this player about the other players’ strategy choices.
Term
Dominance Solveable
Definition
a game where iterated elimination of dominated strategies leaves a unique outcome, or just one strategy for each player.
Term
Constant Sum Game
Definition
a game in which the sum of all players’ payoffs is a constant, the same for all their strategy combinations.
Term
Coordination Game
Definition
- a game with multiple nash equilibria, where he player are unanimous about the relative merits of the equilibria
Term
Focal Point
Definition
a configuration of strategies for the players in a game, which emerges as the outcome because of the convergence of the players’ expectations on it.
Term
Minimax
Definition
in a zero-sum game, for the player whose strategies are arrayed along the columns, this is the minimum of the columns over the maximum attained for the same row-column pair.
Term
Nash Equilibrium
Definition
- a configuration of strategies one for each player) such that each player’s strategy is best for him, given those of the other players (can be in pure or mixed strategies)
Term
Continuous Strategy
Definition
a choice over a continuous range of real numbers available to a player.
Term
Opponent's Indifference Property
Definition
A probability such that the equilibrium mixture of strategies yields equal expected payoffs
Term
Adverse Selection
Definition
Information asymmetry where a player's type is private information
Term
Babbling Equilibrium
Definition
Equilibrium that is chosen disregarding communication
Term
Bayesian-Nash Equilibrium
Definition
Players use their best actions and infer informations from the actions of others
Term
Cheap Talk Equilibrium
Definition
Strategies are chosen using players' interpretation of communication, and the communication is chose by calculating the actions that will ensue
Term
Incentive-Compatability Conditions (Contstraints)
Definition
Constraints on an incentive scheme that makes it optimal for the agent of each type to reveal his true type through his actions
Term
Moral Hazard
Definition
A situation of asymmetry where one player's actions are not directly observable by others
Term
Partially Revealing Equilibrium
Definition
A perfect Bayesian equilibrium in a game of incomplete information where actions reveal some information of the players' types
Term
Participation Condition (Constraint)
Definition
A constraint on an incentive scheme or screening device that gives the more informed player an expected payoff at least as high as without it
Term
Perfect Bayesian Equilibrium
Definition
An equilibrium where each player's strategy is optimal at all nodes given his beliefs and beliefs at each node are updatet using information available
Term
Pooling Equilibrium
Definition
A perfect Bayesian Equilibrium in a game of assymmetric information where actions in the equilibrium cannot be used to distinguish type
Term
Type
Definition
Players who posses different private information in a game of asymmetric information
Term
Semiseparating Equilibrium
Definition
A perfect Bayesian equilibrium in a game of incomplete information where actions reveal some information of the players' types
Term
Contingent Strategy
Definition
plan of action that depends on other players' actions in previous plays
Term
Discount Factor
Definition
In a repeated game, the fraction by which the next period's payoffs are multiplied to make them comparable with this period's payoffs
Term
Effective Rate of Return
Definition
Rate of return corrected for the probability of noncontiuation of an investment
Term
Grim Strategy
Definition
A strategy of noncooperation forever in the future. Used as a threat of punishment in an attempt to sustain cooperation
Term
Infinite Horizon
Definition
A repeated game that has no definite end
Term
Leadership
Definition
In a prisoner's dilemma with asymmetric players a situation where a large player chooses to cooperate even though he knows that the smaller player will cheat
Term
Penalty
Definition
One time costs that induces plays to take actions that are in their joint interests
Term
Present Value
Definition
Total payoff over time multiplied by the appropriate discount factor to make them comparable to the initial period's payoffs
Term
Punishment
Definition
Costs that can be inflicted on an individual to induce him to take actions that are in the joint interests of all players
Term
Repeated Play
Definition
One time game is played repeatedly in successive periods
Term
Tit-for-Tat
Definition
In a repeated prisoners dilemma, cooperating on the first play and doing each period what the other player did the previous
Term
Trigger Strategy
Definition
Cooperate until a rival chooses to defect, then switches to noncooperation for a specified period.
Term
Coercion
Definition
Same as opression, forcing a player to accept a lower payoff in asymmetric equilibrium while favored players get higher payoffs
Term
Collective Action Problem
Definition
A problem of achieving an outcome that is best for society as a whole even if the payoffs for individuals leads to a different equilibrium
Term
Convention
Definition
A mode of behavior that is automatically a focal point because it is in each individual's interest to follow it when others are expected to follow too.
Term
Custom
Definition
A mode of behavior that is automatically a focal point because it is in each individual's interest to follow it when others are expected to follow too.
Term
Externality
Definition
When one person's action affects the payoff of another person
Term
Internalize the Externality
Definition
Offer a reward or penalty for the external benefits of harm of an individual's actions by bringing his private incentives in line with social optimality
Term
Locked In
Definition
A situation where players continue in one Nash equilibrium that is worse for everyone than another Nash equilibrium
Term
Marginal Private Gain
Definition
The change in an individuals payoff as the result of a small change in his continuous strategy
Term
Marginal Social Gain
Definition
The change in aggregate as the result of a small change in his continuous strategy
Term
Nonexcludable Benefits
Definition
Benefits that are available to each individual regardless if he has paid the costs
Term
Nonrival Benefits
Definition
Benefits that when enjoyed by one person does not detract from another person's enjoyment of the same benefits
Term
Norm
Definition
A pattern of behavior that is established in society by a process of education or culture. Someone who behaves differently experiences a negative payoff
Term
Opression
Definition
Same as coercion, forcing a player to accept a lower payoff in asymmetric equilibrium while favored players get higher payoffs
Term
Pluralistic Ignorance
Definition
A situation of collective action where no individual knows the right action, so everyone takes cues from each other possibly resulting in the persistence of wrong choices
Term
Pure Public Good
Definition
A good or facility that benefits all members of a group, nobody can be excluded and one person's enjoyment does not detract from others
Term
Sanction
Definition
Punishment approved by society for someone who violates an accepted pattern of behavior
Term
Social Optimum
Definition
In a collective game when the payoffs of individuals can be summed, the sum of the total players' payoffs is maximized
Term
Spillover Effect
Definition
Externality, When one person's action affects the payoff of another person
Term
Mechanism Design
Definition
The process that the more informed player uses to devise the correct set of incentives for the less informed player
Term
Price Discrimination
Definition
A firm charging an individualized prices based on willingness to pay
Term
Principal
Definition
More informed player
Term
Agent
Definition
Less informed player
Term
principal-agent or agency problem
Definition
a game that involves a principal and an agent
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