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Encyclopedia > Correlated equilibrium
Correlated equilibrium
Part of the equilibrium refinement series
Relationships
Subset of: {{{subsetof}}}
Superset of: Nash equilibrium
Intersects with: {{{intersectwith}}}
Independent of: {{{indepedentof}}}
Significance
Discoverer: Robert Aumann
Used for: {{{usedfor}}}
Example: Chicken

In game theory, a correlated equilibrium is a solution concept that is more general than the well known Nash equilibrium. It was first discussed by the Robert Aumann (1974). The ideas is that a strategy set is chosen at random by some outside force. If neither player would want to deviate from the declared strategy, that strategy is correlated equilibrium. In game theory and economic modelling, a solution concept is a process via which equilibria of a game are identified. ... In game theory, the Nash equilibrium (named after John Nash who proposed it) is a kind of optimal collective strategy in a game involving two or more players, where no player has anything to gain by changing only his or her own strategy. ... Israel Robert John Aumann (ישראל אומן) (born June 8, 1930) is an Israeli mathematician and a member of the United States National Academy of Sciences. ... [[|Diversity]] Binomial name Gallus gallus Trinomial name Type Species [[Image: ]] Synonyms A chicken (Gallus gallus) is a type of domesticated bird which is often raised as a type of poultry. ... Game theory is a branch of applied mathematics that studies strategic situations where players choose different actions in an attempt to maximize their returns. ... In game theory and economic modelling, a solution concept is a process via which equilibria of a game are identified. ... In game theory, the Nash equilibrium (named after John Nash who proposed it) is a kind of optimal collective strategy in a game involving two or more players, where no player has anything to gain by changing only his or her own strategy. ... Israel Robert John Aumann (ישראל אומן) (born June 8, 1930) is an Israeli mathematician and a member of the United States National Academy of Sciences. ...


An example

Chicken
D C
D 0, 0 7, 2
C 2, 7 6, 6

Consider the game of chicken (pictured to the right). In this game two individuals are challenging each other to a contest where each can either dare or chicken out. If one is going to Dare, it is better for the other to chicken out. But if one is going to chicken out it is better for the other to Dare. This leads to an interesting situation where each wants to dare, but only if the other might chicken out. The game of chicken (also referred to as playing chicken) is a game in which two players engage in an activity that will result in serious harm unless one of them backs down. ...


In this game, there are three Nash equilibria. The two pure strategy Nash equilibria are (D, C) and (C, D). There is also a mixed strategy equilibrium where each player Dares with probability 1/3. In game theory, the Nash equilibrium (named after John Nash) is a kind of optimal strategy for games involving two or more players, whereby the players reach an outcome to mutual advantage. ... A pure strategy is a term used to refer to strategies in Game theory. ... A mixed strategy is used in game theory economics to describe a strategy comprising possible moves and a probability distribution which corresponds to how frequently each move is chosen. ...


Now consider a third party (or some natural event) that draws one of three cards labeled: (C, C), (D, C), and (C, D). After drawing the card the third party informs the players of the strategy assigned to them on the card (but not the strategy assigned to their opponent). Suppose a player is assigned D, he would not want to deviate supposing the other player played their assigned strategy since he will get 7 (the highest payoff possible). Suppose a player is asigned C. Then the other player will play C with probability 1/2 and D with probability 1/2. The expected utility of Daring is 0(1/2) + 7(1/2) = 3.5 and the expected utility of chickening out is 2(1/2) + 6(1/2) = 4. So, the player would prefer to Chicken out. The expected utility hypothesis is the hypothesis in economics that the utility of an agent facing uncertainty is calculated by considering utility in each possible state and constructing a weighted average. ...


Since neither player has an incentive to deviate, this is a correlated equilibrium. Interestingly, the expected payoff for this equilibrium is 7(1/3) + 2(1/3) + 6(1/3) = 5 which is higher than the expected payoff of the mixed strategy Nash equilibrium.


Formal defintion

A probability distribution, p(cdot) is a correlated equilibrium if for all strategies si such that p(si) > 0 and for every alternative strategy si'

sum_{s_{-i} in S_{-i}} p(s_{-i}|s_i)u_i(s_i, s_{-i}) geq sum_{s_{-i} in S_{-i}} p(s_{-i}|s_{i}')u_i(s_{i}', s_{-i})

where u_i(cdot) is i's utility function and S i is the set of all possible strategies that i's opponents might take.


References

  • Aumann, Robert (1974) Subjectivity and correlation in randomized strategies. Journal of Mathematical Economics 1:67-96.
  • Fudenberg, Drew and Jean Tirole (1991) Game Theory, MIT Press, 1991, ISBN 0262061414
  • Tardos, Eva (2004) Class notes from Algorithmic game theory (note an important typo) [1]
Topics in game theory
Definitions Normal form game - Extensive form game - Cooperative game - Information set - Strategy - Mixed strategy - Preference
Equilibrium concepts Relations between equilibrium concepts - Dominant strategy equilibrium - Nash equilibrium - Subgame-perfect Nash equilibrium - Bayes-Nash equilibrium - Perfect Bayes-Nash equilibrium - Sequential equilibrium - Equilibrium refinements - Evolutionarily stable strategy
Classes of games Symmetric game - Perfect information - Dynamic game - Repeated game - Signaling game - Cheap talk - Zero-sum game - Mechanism design
Games Prisoner's dilemma - Chicken - Stag hunt - Ultimatum game - Matching pennies - Minority Game - Rock, Paper, Scissors - ...
Theorems Revelation principle - Minimax theorem - Purification theorems - Folk theorem of repeated games - Bishop-Cannings theorem
Related topics Mathematics - Economics - Behavioral economics - Evolutionary biology - Evolutionary game theory - Population genetics - Behavioral ecology - List of game theorists
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