Game Theory: Conflict and Cooperation

Background

The complexity of centralized approaches and the co-existence of cooperation and conflicting objectives have sparked a huge growth in the decision science literature that aims to find low complexity algorithms for distributed and cooperative decision processes. Theoretically, partnership/cooperation and information sharing can contribute to systems sustainability and resilience. However, the question is how to ensure the long-term functioning of collaboration structures. For these reasons, much effort has been recently devoted to generating an appropriate profit and risk sharing scheme and incentives for key stakeholders to strengthen their commitment. Such considerations are of major concern in game theory. Game theory is divided into non-cooperative/strategic and cooperative games. In the light of cooperative game, systems can be modeled as a coalition of entities pooling their resources to achieve global performances.

Objective

This research seeks to develop novel game theory models to understand how conflicts and propensities for cooperative behavior among decision-makers might vary over time. We formulate non-cooperative and cooperative decision games for different application areas, and investigate fairness criteria for allocating incentives. In addition, we aim to derive novel fairness criteria for games evolving along a cooperative trajectory generated by feedbacks between stakeholders’ decisions and the environment.

Publications

Mohebbi, S., Barnett K, Aslani B., (2021). “Decentralized resource allocation for interdependent infrastructures resilience: a cooperative game approach”, International Transactions in Operational Research, 28(6), 3394-3415.

Mohebbi, S., Li, X., Wyatt, T., (2020). “Designing an incentive scheme within a cooperative game for consolidated hospital referral systems”, Journal of the Operational Research Society, 71(7), 1073-1144.

Mohebbi, S., Li, X., (2015). “Coalitional game theory approach to modeling suppliers’ collaboration in supply networks”, International Journal of Production Economics, 169, 333-342.

Li, X., Nukala, S., Mohebbi, S., (2013). “Game theory methodology for optimizing retailers’ pricing and shelf-space allocation decisions on competing substitutable products”, The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, 68, 375-389.

Funding Source

DISES: Conservation Incentives and the Socio-Spatial Dynamics of Water Sustainability (2022-2026), Mason PI, NSF, $1,596,980. [Read more]

Collaborators

University of Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Clark University, and Oklahoma State University

GRA

Behnam Momeni, PhD Student