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Expedient and Monotone Learning Rules

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  • Tilman Börgers
  • Antonio J. Morales
  • Rajiv Sarin

Abstract

This paper considers learning rules for environments in which little prior and feedback information is available to the decision maker. Two properties of such learning rules are studied: absolute expediency and monotonicity. Both require that some aspect of the decision maker's performance improves from the current period to the next. The paper provides some necessary, and some sufficient conditions for these properties. It turns out that there is a large variety of learning rules that have the properties. However, all learning rules that have these properties are related to the replicator dynamics of evolutionary game theory. For the case in which there are only two actions, it is shown that one of the absolutely expedient learning rules dominates all others. Copyright The Econometric Society 2004.

Suggested Citation

  • Tilman Börgers & Antonio J. Morales & Rajiv Sarin, 2004. "Expedient and Monotone Learning Rules," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 72(2), pages 383-405, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:ecm:emetrp:v:72:y:2004:i:2:p:383-405
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Jonas Hedlund & Carlos Oyarzun, 2018. "Imitation in heterogeneous populations," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 65(4), pages 937-973, June.
    2. Bouwe R. Dijkstra, 2011. "Good and Bad Equilibria with the Informal Sector," Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics (JITE), Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 167(4), pages 668-685, December.
    3. Karl H. Schlag, 2007. "Distribution-Free Learning," Economics Working Papers ECO2007/01, European University Institute.
    4. Hopkins, Ed, 2007. "Adaptive learning models of consumer behavior," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 64(3-4), pages 348-368.
    5. Oyarzun, Carlos & Sarin, Rajiv, 2012. "Mean and variance responsive learning," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 75(2), pages 855-866.
    6. Mengel Friederike & Rivas Javier, 2012. "An Axiomatization of Learning Rules when Counterfactuals are not Observed," The B.E. Journal of Theoretical Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 12(1), pages 1-19, July.
    7. Oyarzun, Carlos & Sarin, Rajiv, 2013. "Learning and risk aversion," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 148(1), pages 196-225.
    8. Antonio Morales & Pablo Brañas Garza, 2003. "Computational Errors in Guessing Games1," Economic Working Papers at Centro de Estudios Andaluces E2003/11, Centro de Estudios Andaluces.
    9. Oyarzun, Carlos, 2014. "A note on absolutely expedient learning rules," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 213-223.
    10. Rivas, Javier, 2013. "Cooperation, imitation and partial rematching," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 148-162.
    11. Agastya, Murali & Slinko, Arkadii, 2015. "Dynamic choice in a complex world," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 158(PA), pages 232-258.
    12. Carlos Oyarzun & Johannes Ruf, 2009. "Monotone imitation," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 41(3), pages 411-441, December.
    13. Arthur Charpentier & Romuald Élie & Carl Remlinger, 2023. "Reinforcement Learning in Economics and Finance," Computational Economics, Springer;Society for Computational Economics, vol. 62(1), pages 425-462, June.
    14. Oyarzun, Carlos & Ruf, Johannes, 2014. "Convergence in models with bounded expected relative hazard rates," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 154(C), pages 229-244.
    15. Jonathan Newton, 2018. "Evolutionary Game Theory: A Renaissance," Games, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-67, May.
    16. Lahkar, Ratul & Seymour, Robert M., 2013. "Reinforcement learning in population games," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 10-38.
    17. Oyarzun, Carlos & Sanjurjo, Adam & Nguyen, Hien, 2017. "Response functions," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 1-31.
    18. John Huyck & Raymond Battalio & Frederick Rankin, 2007. "Selection dynamics and adaptive behavior without much information," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 33(1), pages 53-65, October.
    19. Norman, Thomas W.L., 2023. "Pigouvian algorithmic platform design," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 212(C), pages 322-332.
    20. Antonio J. Morales Siles, 2002. "Absolute Expediency and Imitative Behaviour," Economic Working Papers at Centro de Estudios Andaluces E2002/03, Centro de Estudios Andaluces.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness

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