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A Globally Convergent Algorithm to Compute All Nash Equilibria for n-Person Games

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  • P. Herings
  • Ronald Peeters

Abstract

In this paper we present an algorithm to compute all Nash equilibria for generic finite n-person games in normal form. The algorithm relies on decomposing the game by means of support-sets. For each support-set, the set of totally mixed equilibria of the support-restricted game can be characterized by a system of polynomial equations and inequalities. By finding all the solutions to those systems, all equilibria are found. The algorithm belongs to the class of homotopy-methods and can be easily implemented. Finally, several techniques to speed up computations are proposed. Copyright Springer Science + Business Media, Inc. 2005

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  • P. Herings & Ronald Peeters, 2005. "A Globally Convergent Algorithm to Compute All Nash Equilibria for n-Person Games," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 137(1), pages 349-368, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:annopr:v:137:y:2005:i:1:p:349-368:10.1007/s10479-005-2265-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s10479-005-2265-4
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    6. P. Jean-Jacques Herings & Ronald J.A.P. Peeters, 2001. "symposium articles: A differentiable homotopy to compute Nash equilibria of n -person games," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 18(1), pages 159-185.
    7. Todd R. Kaplan & John Dickhaut, "undated". "A Program for Finding Nash Equilibria," Working papers _004, University of Minnesota, Department of Economics.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ruchira Datta, 2010. "Finding all Nash equilibria of a finite game using polynomial algebra," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 42(1), pages 55-96, January.
    2. Peixuan Li & Chuangyin Dang, 2020. "An Arbitrary Starting Tracing Procedure for Computing Subgame Perfect Equilibria," Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications, Springer, vol. 186(2), pages 667-687, August.
    3. Iryna Topolyan, 2013. "Existence of perfect equilibria: a direct proof," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 53(3), pages 697-705, August.
    4. Yang Zhan & Chuangyin Dang, 2021. "Computing equilibria for markets with constant returns production technologies," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 301(1), pages 269-284, June.
    5. Natalia Novikova & Irina Pospelova, 2022. "Germeier’s Scalarization for Approximating Solution of Multicriteria Matrix Games," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-28, December.
    6. Felix Kubler & Karl Schmedders, 2010. "Tackling Multiplicity of Equilibria with Gröbner Bases," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 58(4-part-2), pages 1037-1050, August.
    7. P. Herings & Ronald Peeters, 2010. "Homotopy methods to compute equilibria in game theory," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 42(1), pages 119-156, January.

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