Abstract
In this paper, we consider constrained noncooperative N-person stochastic games with discounted cost criteria. The state space is assumed to be countable and the action sets are compact metric spaces. We present three main results. The first concerns the sensitivity or approximation of constrained games. The second shows the existence of Nash equilibria for constrained games with a finite state space (and compact actions space), and, finally, in the third one we extend that existence result to a class of constrained games which can be “approximated” by constrained games with finitely many states and compact action spaces. Our results are illustrated with two examples on queueing systems, which clearly show some important differences between constrained and unconstrained games.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Altman E (1999) Constrained Markov decision processes. Chapman & Hall/ CRC, Boca Raton, FL, USA
Altman E, Hordijk A, Spieksma FM (1997) Contraction conditions for average and α-discount optimality in countable state Markov games with unbounded rewards. Math Oper Res 22:588–618
Altman E, Shwartz A (2000) Constrained Markov games: Nash equilibria. In: Filar JA, et al. (ed) advances in dynamic games and applications (Kanagawa, 1996), pp 213–221, Ann Int Soc Dynam Games. Vol 5, Birkhäuser, Boston, MA
Alvarez-Mena J, Hernández-Lerma O (2002) Convergence of the optimal values of constrained Markov control processes. Math Meth Oper Res 55:461–484
Billingsley P (1968) Convergence of probability measures. Wiley, New York
Borkar VS, Ghosh MK (1993) Denumerable state stochastic games with limiting average payoff. J Optim Theory Appl 76:539–560
Clark CW (1990) Matematical bioeconomics: the optimal management of renewable resources, 2nd ed. with a contribution by Gordon Munro. Wiley, New York
Clark CW (1980) Restricted access to common property fishery resources: a game-theoretic analysis. In: Liu P-T. (ed). Dynamic optimization and mathematical economics. Plenum, New York, pp. 117–132
Dutta PK, Sundaram RK (1993) The tragedy of the commons?. Econ Theory 3:413-426
Dynkin EB, Yushkevich AA (1979) Controlled Markov processes. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York
Federgruen A (1978) On N-person stochastic games with denumerable state space. Adv Appl Probab 10:452–471
Feinberg E, Shwartz A (1996) Constrained discounted dynamic programming. Math Oper Res 21:922-945
Filar J, Vrieze K (1997) Competitive Markov Decision processes. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York
Glicksberg IL (1952) A further generalization of the Kakutani fixed point theorem, with application to Nash equilibrium points. Proc Amer Math Soc 3:170–174
Ghosh MK, Bagchi A (1998) Stochastic games with average payoff criterion. Appl Math Optim 38:283–301
Godoy-Alcantar M, Gomez-Ramírez E, Poznyak A (2002a) Noncooperative constrained finite games: alternate linear programing approach. Conference on Decision and Control CDC02, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, Regular paper
Godoy-Alcantar M, Gomez-Ramírez E, Poznyak A (2002b) Constrained finite games: ALP-approach, Congreso Latinoamericano de Control Automático CLCA2002, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México.
Gordon HS (1954) The economic theory of a common property resource: the fishery. J Polit Econ 62:124–142
Hernández-Lerma O, González-Hernández J (2001) Constrained Markov control processes in Borel spaces: the discounted case. Math Meth Oper Res 52:271–285
Hsiao A, Lazar AA (1991) Optimal decentralized flow control of Markovian queueing networks with multiple controllers. Performance Eval 13:181–204
Korilis YA, Lazar A (1995) On the existence of equilibria in nooncooperative games optimal flow control. J ACM 42:584–613
Levhary D, Mirman L (1980) The great fish war: an example using a dinamyc Cournot-Nash solution. Bell J Econ 11:322–344
Mckelvey R (1997) Game-theoretic insights into the international management of fisheries. Natur Resour Model 10:129–171
Mckelvey R (1999) Coexistence or exclusion in a competitive common-pool fishery: a revisionist view. Natur Resour Model 12:427–460
Nowak AS (1987) Nonrandomized strategy equilibria in noncooperative stochastic games with additive transition and reward structure. J Optim Theory Appl 52:429–441
Parthasarathy T (1982) Existence of equilibrium stationary strategies in discounted stochastic games. Sankhya, Ser A 44:114–127
Sennott LT (1993) Constrained discounted Markov decision chains. Probab Eng Inform Sci 5:463–475
Sennott LI (1993) Constrained average cost Markov decision chains. Probab Eng Inform Sci 7:69–83
Sennott LI (1994) Nonzero-sum stochastic games with unbounded costs: discounted and average cost cases. ZOR-Math Meth Oper Res 40:145–162
Shimkin N (1994) Stochastic games with average cost constraints. In: Basar T, Haurie H (ed) Advances in dynamic games and applications (Geneva, 1992). Ann Int Soc Dynam Games, Vol 1, Birkhäuser, Boston, MA, pp 219–230
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Mathematics Subject Classification (2000): Primary: 91A15. 91A10; Secondary: 90C40
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Alvarez-Mena, J., Hernández-Lerma, O. Existence of nash equilibria for constrained stochastic games. Math Meth Oper Res 63, 261–285 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00186-005-0003-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00186-005-0003-y