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Evolutionary Multiplayer Games

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  • Chaitanya Gokhale
  • Arne Traulsen

Abstract

Evolutionary game theory has become one of the most diverse and far reaching theories in biology. Applications of this theory range from cell dynamics to social evolution. However, many applications make it clear that inherent non-linearities of natural systems need to be taken into account. One way of introducing such non-linearities into evolutionary games is by the inclusion of multiple players. An example are social dilemmas, where group benefits could e.g. increase less than linear with the number of cooperators. Such multiplayer games can be introduced in all the fields where evolutionary game theory is already well established. However, the inclusion of non-linearities can help to advance the analysis of systems which are known to be complex, e.g. in the case of non-Mendelian inheritance. We review the diachronic theory and applications of multiplayer evolutionary games and present the current state of the field. Our aim is a summary of the theoretical results from well-mixed populations in infinite as well as finite populations. We also discuss examples from three fields where the theory has been successfully applied, ecology, social sciences and population genetics. In closing, we probe certain future directions which can be explored using the complexity of multiplayer games while preserving the promise of simplicity of evolutionary games. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Chaitanya Gokhale & Arne Traulsen, 2014. "Evolutionary Multiplayer Games," Dynamic Games and Applications, Springer, vol. 4(4), pages 468-488, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:dyngam:v:4:y:2014:i:4:p:468-488
    DOI: 10.1007/s13235-014-0106-2
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    3. Nöldeke, Georg & Peña, Jorge, 2018. "Group size effects in social evolution," IAST Working Papers 18-75, Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse (IAST).
    4. Jiahuan He & Xinggang Luo & Zhongliang Zhang & Yang Yu, 2021. "Strategic Analysis of Participants in the Provision of Elderly Care Services—An Evolutionary Game Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-27, August.
    5. Manh Hong Duong & The Anh Han, 2020. "On Equilibrium Properties of the Replicator–Mutator Equation in Deterministic and Random Games," Dynamic Games and Applications, Springer, vol. 10(3), pages 641-663, September.
    6. Guang Zhu & Hu Liu & Mining Feng, 2018. "An Evolutionary Game-Theoretic Approach for Assessing Privacy Protection in mHealth Systems," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-27, October.
    7. Jorge Peña & Georg Nöldeke, 2023. "Cooperative Dilemmas with Binary Actions and Multiple Players," Dynamic Games and Applications, Springer, vol. 13(4), pages 1156-1193, December.
    8. Manh Hong Duong & Hoang Minh Tran & The Anh Han, 2019. "On the Expected Number of Internal Equilibria in Random Evolutionary Games with Correlated Payoff Matrix," Dynamic Games and Applications, Springer, vol. 9(2), pages 458-485, June.
    9. D. Timothy Bishop & Mark Broom & Richard Southwell, 2020. "Chris Cannings: A Life in Games," Dynamic Games and Applications, Springer, vol. 10(3), pages 591-617, September.
    10. De Jaegher, Kris, 2017. "Harsh environments and the evolution of multi-player cooperation," Theoretical Population Biology, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 1-12.
    11. Melkikh, A.V. & Beregov, R.Y. & Sutormina, M.I., 2022. "Strange attractors and nontrivial solutions in games with three players," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    12. Jorge Peña & Bin Wu & Jordi Arranz & Arne Traulsen, 2016. "Evolutionary Games of Multiplayer Cooperation on Graphs," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(8), pages 1-15, August.

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