List of games in game theory

2 List of games

Game theory studies strategic interaction between individuals in situations called games. Classes of these games
have been given names. This is a list of the most commonly studied games

3 External links
List of games from gametheory.net

A visual index to common 2x2 games

Explanation of features

Games can have several features, a few of the most common are listed here.

4 Notes
[1] For the cake cutting problem, there is a simple solution if
the object to be divided is homogenous; one person cuts,
the other chooses who gets which piece (continued for
each player). With a non-homogenous object, such as a
half chocolate/half vanilla cake or a patch of land with a
single source of water, the solutions are far more complex.

Number of players: Each person who makes a

choice in a game or who receives a payo from the
outcome of those choices is a player.
Strategies per player: In a game each player
chooses from a set of possible actions, known as
pure strategies. If the number is the same for all
players, it is listed here.

[2] There may be nite strategies depending on how goods are

divisible
[3] Since the dictator game only involves one player actually
choosing a strategy (the other does nothing), it cannot really be classied as sequential or perfect information.

Number of pure strategy Nash equilibria: A

Nash equilibrium is a set of strategies which represents mutual best responses to the other strategies.
In other words, if every player is playing their part
of a Nash equilibrium, no player has an incentive to
unilaterally change his or her strategy. Considering
only situations where players play a single strategy
without randomizing (a pure strategy) a game can
have any number of Nash equilibria.

[4] Potentially zero-sum, provided that the prize is split

among all players who make an optimal guess. Otherwise
non-zero sum.

5 References
Arthur, W. Brian Inductive Reasoning and
Bounded Rationality, American Economic Review
(Papers and Proceedings), 84,406-411, 1994.

Sequential game: A game is sequential if one

player performs her/his actions after another player;
otherwise, the game is a simultaneous move game.

Bolton, Katok, Zwick 1998, Dictator game giving:

Rules of fairness versus acts of kindness International Journal of Game Theory, Volume 27, Number 2

Perfect information: A game has perfect information if it is a sequential game and every player knows
the strategies chosen by the players who preceded
them.

Gibbons, Robert (1992) A Primer in Game Theory,

Harvester Wheatsheaf

Constant sum: A game is constant sum if the sum

of the payos to every player are the same for every
set of strategies. In these games one player gains
if and only if another player loses. A constant sum
game can be converted into a zero sum game by
subtracting a xed value from all payos, leaving
their relative order unchanged.

Glance, Huberman. (1994) The dynamics of social

dilemmas. Scientic American.
H. W. Kuhn, Simplied Two-Person Poker; in H.
W. Kuhn and A. W. Tucker (editors), Contributions
to the Theory of Games, volume 1, pages 97103,
Princeton University Press, 1950.
1

5
Martin J. Osborne & Ariel Rubinstein: A Course in
Game Theory (1994).
McKelvey, R. and T. Palfrey (1992) An experimental study of the centipede game, Econometrica
60(4), 803-836.
Nash, John (1950) The Bargaining Problem
Econometrica 18: 155-162.
Ochs, J. and A.E. Roth (1989) An Experimental Study of Sequential Bargaining American Economic Review 79: 355-384.
Rapoport, A. (1966) The game of chicken, American Behavioral Scientist 10: 10-14.
Rasmussen, Eric: Games and Information, 2004
Shor, Mikhael. Battle of the sexes. GameTheory.net. Retrieved September 30, 2006.
Shor, Mikhael. Deadlock. GameTheory.net. Retrieved September 30, 2006.
Shor, Mikhael. Matching Pennies. GameTheory.net. Retrieved September 30, 2006.
Shor, Mikhael. Prisoners Dilemma. GameTheory.net. Retrieved September 30, 2006.
Shubik, Martin The Dollar Auction Game: A Paradox in Noncooperative Behavior and Escalation,
The Journal of Conict Resolution, 15, 1, 1971, 109111.
Sinervo, B., and Lively, C. (1996). The RockPaper-Scissors Game and the evolution of alternative male strategies. Nature Vol.380, pp. 240243
Skyrms, Brian. (2003) The stag hunt and Evolution
of Social Structure Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

REFERENCES

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List of games in game theory Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List%20of%20games%20in%20game%20theory?oldid=650661215

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