Paper 3, Section I, H

Topics in Analysis | Part II, 2019

State Nash's theorem for a non zero-sum game in the case of two players with two choices.

The role playing game Tixerb involves two players. Before the game begins, each player ii chooses a pip_{i} with 0pi10 \leqslant p_{i} \leqslant 1 which they announce. They may change their choice as many times as they wish, but, once the game begins, no further changes are allowed. When the game starts, player ii becomes a Dark Lord with probability pip_{i} and a harmless peasant with probability 1pi1-p_{i}. If one player is a Dark Lord and the other a peasant the Lord gets 2 points and the peasant 2-2. If both are peasants they get 1 point each, if both Lords they get U-U each. Show that there exists a U0U_{0}, to be found, such that, if U>U0U>U_{0} there will be three choices of (p1,p2)\left(p_{1}, p_{2}\right) for which neither player can increase the expected value of their outcome by changing their choice unilaterally, but, if U0>UU_{0}>U, there will only be one. Find the appropriate (p1,p2)\left(p_{1}, p_{2}\right) in each case.

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