Noncooperative Game Theory: An Introduction for Engineers and Computer Scientists

Noncooperative Game Theory is aimed at students interested in using game theory as a design methodology for solving problems in engineering and computer science. João Hespanha shows that such design challenges can be analyzed through game theoretical perspectives that help to pinpoint each problem’s essence: Who are the players? What are their goals? Will the solution to “the game” solve the original design problem? Using the fundamentals of game theory, Hespanha explores these issues and more.

The use of game theory in technology design is a recent development arising from the intrinsic limitations of classical optimization-based designs. In optimization, one attempts to find values for parameters that minimize suitably defined criteria—such as monetary cost, energy consumption, or heat generated. However, in most engineering applications, there is always some uncertainty as to how the selected parameters will affect the final objective. Through a sequential and easy-to-understand discussion, Hespanha examines how to make sure that the selection leads to acceptable performance, even in the presence of uncertainty—the unforgiving variable that can wreck engineering designs. Hespanha looks at such standard topics as zero-sum, non-zero-sum, and dynamics games and includes a MATLAB guide to coding.

Noncooperative Game Theory offers students a fresh way of approaching engineering and computer science applications.

• An introduction to game theory applications for students of engineering and computer science
• Materials presented sequentially and in an easy-to-understand fashion
• Topics explore zero-sum, non-zero-sum, and dynamics games
• MATLAB commands are included

Table of Contents

Part I Introduction
Chapter 1 Noncooperative Games
Chapter 2 Policies

Part II Zero-Sum Games
Chapter 3 Zero-Sum Matrix Games
Chapter 4 Mixed Policies
Chapter 5 Minimax Theorem
Chapter 6 Computation Of Mixed Saddle-Point Equilibrium Policies
Chapter 7 Games In Extensive Form
Chapter 8 Stochastic Policies For Games In Extensive Form

Part III Non-Zero-Sum Games
Chapter 9 Two-Player Non-Zero-Sum Games
Chapter 10 Computation Of Nash Equilibria For Bimatrix Games
Chapter 11 N-Player Games
Chapter 12 Potential Games
Chapter 13 Classes Of Potential Games

Part IV Dynamic Games
Chapter 14 Dynamic Games
Chapter 15 One-Player Dynamic Games
Chapter 16 One-Player Differential Games
Chapter 17 State-Feedback Zero-Sum Dynamic Games
Chapter 18 State-Feedback Zero-Sum Differential Games