121 research outputs found
Nash equilibria, gale strings, and perfect matchings
This thesis concerns the problem 2-NASH of ļ¬nding a Nash equilibrium of a bimatrix
game, for the special class of so-called āhard-to-solveā bimatrix games. The term āhardto-solveā relates to the exponential running time of the famous and often used Lemkeā
Howson algorithm for this class of games. The games are constructed with the help of
dual cyclic polytopes, where the algorithm can be expressed combinatorially via labeled
bitstrings deļ¬ned by the āGale evenness conditionā that characterise the vertices of these
polytopes.
We deļ¬ne the combinatorial problem āAnother completely labeled Gale stringā whose
solutions deļ¬ne the Nash equilibria of any game deļ¬ned by cyclic polytopes, including
the games where the LemkeāHowson algorithm takes exponential time. We show that
āAnother completely labeled Gale stringā is solvable in polynomial time by a reduction to
the āPerfect matchingā problem in Euler graphs. We adapt the LemkeāHowson algorithm
to pivot from one perfect matching to another and show that again for a certain class
of graphs this leads to exponential behaviour. Furthermore, we prove that completely
labeled Gale strings and perfect matchings in Euler graphs come in pairs and that the
LemkeāHowson algorithm connects two strings or matchings of opposite signs.
The equivalence between Nash Equilibria of bimatrix games derived from cyclic polytopes, completely labeled Gale strings, and perfect matchings in Euler Graphs implies that
counting Nash equilibria is #P-complete. Although one Nash equilibrium can be computed in polynomial time, we have not succeeded in ļ¬nding an algorithm that computes
a Nash equilibrium of opposite sign. However, we solve this problem for certain special cases, for example planar graphs. We illustrate the difļ¬culties concerning a general
polynomial-time algorithm for this problem by means of negative results that demonstrate
why a number of approaches towards such an algorithm are unlikely to be successful
Combinatorial Potpourri: Permutations, Products, Posets, and Pfaffians
In this dissertation we first examine the descent set polynomial, which is defined in terms of the descent set statistics of the symmetric group. Algebraic and topological tools are used to explain why large classes of cyclotomic polynomials are factors of the descent set polynomial. Next the diamond product of two Eulerian posets is studied, particularly by examining the effect this product has on their cd-indices. A combinatorial interpretation involving weighted lattice paths is introduced to describe the outcome of applying the diamond product operator to two cd-monomials. Then the cd-index is defined for infinite posets, with the calculation of the cd-index of the universal Coxeter group under the Bruhat order as an example. Finally, an extension of the Pfaffian of a skew-symmetric function, called the hyperpfaffian, is given in terms of a signed sum over partitions of n elements into blocks of equal size. Using a sign-reversing involution on a set of weighted, oriented partitions, we prove an extension of Torelli\u27s Pfaffian identity that results from applying the hyperpfaffian to a skew-symmetric polynomial
An extensive English language bibliography on graph theory and its applications, supplement 1
Graph theory and its applications - bibliography, supplement
Brane Tilings and Their Applications
We review recent developments in the theory of brane tilings and
four-dimensional N=1 supersymmetric quiver gauge theories. This review consists
of two parts. In part I, we describe foundations of brane tilings, emphasizing
the physical interpretation of brane tilings as fivebrane systems. In part II,
we discuss application of brane tilings to AdS/CFT correspondence and
homological mirror symmetry. More topics, such as orientifold of brane tilings,
phenomenological model building, similarities with BPS solitons in
supersymmetric gauge theories, are also briefly discussed.
This paper is a revised version of the author's master's thesis submitted to
Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, the University of Tokyo on January
2008, and is based on his several papers: math.AG/0605780, math.AG/0606548,
hep-th/0702049, math.AG/0703267, arXiv:0801.3528 and some works in progress.Comment: 208 pages, 92 figures, based on master's thesis; v2: minor
corrections, to appear in Fortschr. Phy
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