Game Theory – Review Questions
Test 3
Topics
● Sequential Move Game
● Imperfect Information
● Subgame Perfect Equilibrium
Exercise 1
Consider a game in which player 1 first selects between I and O. If player 1 selects O, then the game ends with the payoff vector (x,1) (x for player 1), where x is some positive number. If player 1 selects I, then this selection is revealed to player 2 and then the players play the battle-of-the-sexes game in which they simultaneously and independently choose between A and B. If they coordinate on A, then the payoff vector is (3, 1). If they coordinate on B, then the payoff vector is (1 , 3). If they fail to coordinate, then the payoff vector is (0, 0).
(a) Represent this game in the extensive and normal forms. (b) Find the pure-strategy Nash equilibria of this game.
(c) Calculate the mixed-strategy Nash equilibria and note how they depend on x.
(d) Represent the proper subgame in the normal form and find its equilibria.
(e) What are the pure-strategy subgame perfect equilibria of the game? Can you find any Nash equilibria that are not subgame perfect?
(f) What are the mixed-strategy subgame perfect equilibria of the game?
Exercise 2
Consider the following game. An incumbent monopolist (firm 1) can either be passive or take a specific action which costs K dollars. A potential entrant (firm 2) observes this and decides whether to enter or not. If she stays out her profits are zero, while the incumbent’s profits are the monopoly profits πM (minus the cost of the action, if such action was taken). If the incumbent took the action and the potential entrant stays out, the incumbent has a choice between undoing the action (thereby recovering K dollars) or making no change. A duopoly game follows the three situations: (no-action, in), (action, in, undo), (action, in, no-change). Let π be firm i’s profit (i=1,2) at the unique Nash equilibrium of the game where no action was taken or, if it was taken, it was subsequently undone. Let πi(0) be firm i’s profit at the unique Nash equilibrium of the remaining duopoly game. Assume that π2(*) > 0 and π > πi(0) for i=1,2.
(a) Draw the extensive game described above.
(b) Find the subgame-perfect equilibria of this game. Is there a subgame-perfect equilibrium characterized by entry deterrence?
Exercise 3
Consider the following game.
Figure 1: Excercise 4
(a) Solve the game by backward induction and report the strategy profile that results.
(b) How many proper subgames does this game have?
(c) SPE?
Exercise 4
Two individuals, A and B, are working on a join project. They can devote it either high effort or low effort. If both players devote high effort, the outcome of the project is of high quality and each one receives 100$. If one or both devote low effort, the outcome of the project is of low quality and each one receives 50$. The opportunity cost to provide high effort is 30. The opportunity cost to provide low effort is 0. Individual A moves first, individual B observes the action of A and then moves.
1. Represent this situation using the extensive form representation
2. For both players write all possible strategies
3. Using the normal form, find all Nash equilibrium.
4. Find all Subgame Perfect Nash Equilibria
Exercise 5
Consider the following game in extensive form. On the nodes where 1 (respectively 2) is written, player 1 (respectively 2) moves. For each outcome of the game, the first number represents the utility of player 1 and the second number the utility of player 2.
1. Apply backward induction
2. Write the game in normal form.
3. Find all pure Nash equilibria. Which ones are sub-game perfect?
Exercise 6
A finitely repeated game. Consider the two-player game
1. Find all the pure-strategy Nash equilibria of this game.
2. Suppose that this game is played twice (i.e., played and then repeated once). Construct a pure-strategy SPE in which (D, d) is played in the first stage.
Exercise 7
Assume that this game is repeated an infinite number of times, and that both the row and column player discount the future with the same discount factor δ .
1. Suppose that both players follow the following grim-trigger strategy: ”play c as long as no-one has ever played d; otherwise play d” . Find the minimum value /delta of such that this is a subgame-perfect equilibria.
2. Suppose that row and column are playing some SPE equilibrium of the in
nitely repeated game. They may or may not have played according to the equilibrium strategies so far. Let Vr and Vc denote the present discounted values of continuing to play from here on according to the equilibrium strategies. What are the lowest values that Vr and Vc could have? [Hint: there are no calculations involved here
Exercise 8:Infinitely repeated games
Boston Heat and Boston Warmth are the only two firms allowed to provide home-heating oil in Boston. Each firm has a constant marginal cost of supplying oil equal to 1 per gallon. Let the prices per gallon of the two firm be ph and pw respectively. Heating oil is a perfectly homogeneous good, so all customers buy from whichever company offer the lower price. The total demand for oil in Boston is given by the following demand function: Q(pL ) = 200, 000 − 100, 000pL
where pL is whichever is the lower of ph and pw . For example, if ph = $0 and pw = $1.50, then total sales in Boston would be 200,000 gallons, all customers would buy from Heat, and Heat would make losses of $200,000. If ph = $1:75 and pw = $1:25, then total sales would be 200,000 – 100,000 (1.25) = 75.000 gallons, all customers would buy from Warmth, and Warmth would make pro
ts of $18,750. Assume that, if Heat and Warmth announce the same price, demand splits exactly equally between the two firms.
1. For the moment, suppose that this competition between Heat and Warmth occurs just once. Suppose that the firm announce their prices simultaneous.
a What prices are strictly dominated strategies, and what prices are weakly dominated strategie
b Find all the Nash equilibria in this game. For all the Nash equilibria in this game, what is the equilibrium price pL .
2. Now suppose that this competition is played repeatedly, year after year, and that both firm have discount factor δ .
a Find the lowest δ such that the firm are able to sustain the monopoly price in a subgame perfect equilibrium. Construct such an equilibrium and explain briefly why no other subgame perfect equilibrium can sustain the monopoly price at a lower δ .
b Suppose instead that the demand for heating is given by Q(pL ) = a−b*pL gallons, where a > 1, and b > 0. In this case, what is the lowest δ such that firms can sustain the monopoly price in a subgame perfect equilibrium. Explain what is general about this result and why?
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