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Characterizing existence of equilibrium for large extensive form games: a necessity result

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  • Carlos Alós-Ferrer

    (University of Cologne)

  • Klaus Ritzberger

    (Vienna Graduate School of Finance and Institute for Advanced Studies)

Abstract

What is the minimal structure that is needed to perform equilibrium analysis in large extensive form games? To answer this question, this paper provides conditions that are simultaneously necessary and sufficient for the existence of a subgame perfect equilibrium in any well-behaved perfect information game defined on a large game tree. In particular, the set of plays needs to be endowed with a topology satisfying two conditions. (a) Nodes are closed as sets of plays; and (b) the immediate predecessor function is an open map.

Suggested Citation

  • Carlos Alós-Ferrer & Klaus Ritzberger, 2017. "Characterizing existence of equilibrium for large extensive form games: a necessity result," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 63(2), pages 407-430, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:joecth:v:63:y:2017:i:2:d:10.1007_s00199-015-0937-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s00199-015-0937-0
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. János Flesch & P. Jean-Jacques Herings & Jasmine Maes & Arkadi Predtetchinski, 2022. "Individual upper semicontinuity and subgame perfect $$\epsilon $$ ϵ -equilibria in games with almost perfect information," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 73(2), pages 695-719, April.
    2. János Flesch & Arkadi Predtetchinski, 2017. "A Characterization of Subgame-Perfect Equilibrium Plays in Borel Games of Perfect Information," Mathematics of Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 42(4), pages 1162-1179, November.
    3. Alós-Ferrer, Carlos & Ritzberger, Klaus, 2021. "Multi-lateral strategic bargaining without stationarity," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    4. Kutay Cingiz & János Flesch & P. Jean-Jacques Herings & Arkadi Predtetchinski, 2020. "Perfect information games where each player acts only once," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 69(4), pages 965-985, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Backwards induction; Subgame perfection; Equilibrium existence; Large extensive form games; Perfect information;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C72 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Noncooperative Games
    • C62 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Existence and Stability Conditions of Equilibrium

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