Periodic Strategies: A New Solution Concept and an Algorithm for NonTrivial Strategic Form Games

We introduce a new solution concept, called periodicity, for selecting optimal strategies in strategic form games. This periodicity solution concept yields new insight into non-trivial games. In mixed strategy strategic form games, periodic solutions yield values for the utility function of each player that are equal to the Nash equilibrium ones. In contrast to the Nash strategies, here the payoffs of each player are robust against what the opponent plays. Sometimes, periodicity strategies yield higher utilities, and sometimes the Nash strategies do, but often the utilities of these two strategies coincide. We formally define and study periodic strategies in two player perfect information strategic form games with pure strategies and we prove that every non-trivial finite game has at least one periodic strategy, with non-trivial meaning non-degenerate payoffs. In some classes of games where mixed strategies are used, we identify quantitative features. Particularly interesting are the implications for collective action games, since there the collective action strategy can be incorporated in a purely non-cooperative context. Moreover, we address the periodicity issue when the players have a continuum set of strategies available.Comment: Revised version, similar to the one published in Advances in Complex System

Existence results for mean field equations

Let $\Omega$ be an annulus. We prove that the mean field equation -\Delta\psi=\frac{e\sp{-\beta\psi}}{\int\sb{\Omega}e\sp{-\beta\psi}} admits a solution with zero boundary for $\beta\in (-16\pi,-8\pi)$. This is a supercritical case for the Moser-Trudinger inequality.Comment: Filling a gap in the argument and adding 2 referrence

Preemptive Behavior in Sequential-Move Tournaments with Heterogeneous Agents

Rank-order tournaments are usually modeled simultaneously. However, real tournaments are often sequential. We show that agents’ strategic behavior in sequential-move tournaments significantly differ from the one in simultaneous-move tournaments: In a sequential-move tournament with heterogeneous agents, there may be either a first-mover or a second-mover advantage. Under certain conditions the first acting agent chooses a preemptively high effort so that the following agent gives up. The principal is able to prevent preemptive behavior in equilibrium, but he will not implement first-best efforts although the agents are risk neutral.preemption, tournaments

The geometry of Grassmannian manifolds and Bernstein type theorems for higher codimension

We identify a region \Bbb{W}_{\f{1}{3}} in a Grassmann manifold \grs{n}{m}, not covered by a usual matrix coordinate chart, with the following important property. For a complete $n-$submanifold in \ir{n+m} \, (n\ge 3, m\ge2) with parallel mean curvature whose image under the Gauss map is contained in a compact subset K\subset\Bbb{W}_{\f{1}{3}}\subset\grs{n}{m}, we can construct strongly subharmonic functions and derive a priori estimates for the harmonic Gauss map. While we do not know yet how close our region is to being optimal in this respect, it is substantially larger than what could be achieved previously with other methods. Consequently, this enables us to obtain substantially stronger Bernstein type theorems in higher codimension than previously known.Comment: 36 page

Existence and non-existence of area-minimizing hypersurfaces in manifolds of non-negative Ricci curvature

We study minimal hypersurfaces in manifolds of non-negative Ricci curvature, Euclidean volume growth and quadratic curvature decay at infinity. By comparison with capped spherical cones, we identify a precise borderline for the Ricci curvature decay. Above this value, no complete area-minimizing hypersurfaces exist. Below this value, in contrast, we construct examples.Comment: 31 pages. Comments are welcome

The Gauss image of entire graphs of higher codimension and Bernstein type theorems

Under suitable conditions on the range of the Gauss map of a complete submanifold of Euclidean space with parallel mean curvature, we construct a strongly subharmonic function and derive a-priori estimates for the harmonic Gauss map. The required conditions here are more general than in previous work and they therefore enable us to improve substantially previous results for the Lawson-Osseman problem concerning the regularity of minimal submanifolds in higher codimension and to derive Bernstein type results.Comment: 28 page

Minimal graphic functions on manifolds of non-negative Ricci curvature

We study minimal graphic functions on complete Riemannian manifolds \Si with non-negative Ricci curvature, Euclidean volume growth and quadratic curvature decay. We derive global bounds for the gradients for minimal graphic functions of linear growth only on one side. Then we can obtain a Liouville type theorem with such growth via splitting for tangent cones of \Si at infinity. When, in contrast, we do not impose any growth restrictions for minimal graphic functions, we also obtain a Liouville type theorem under a certain non-radial Ricci curvature decay condition on \Si. In particular, the borderline for the Ricci curvature decay is sharp by our example in the last section.Comment: 38 page