SETTING COURNOT VS. LYAPUNOV GAMES STABILITY CONDITIONS AND EQUILIBRIUM POINT PROPERTIES

Abstract

In potential games, the best-reply dynamics results in the existence of a cost function such that each player’s best-reply set equals the set of minimizers of the potential given by the opponents’ strategies. The study of sequential best-reply dynamics dates back to Cournot and, an equilibrium point which is stable under the game’s best-reply dynamics is commonly said to be Cournot stable. However, it is exactly the best-reply behavior that we obtain using the Lyapunov notion of stability in game theory. In addition, Lyapunov theory presents several advantages. In this paper, we show that the stability conditions and the equilibrium point properties of Cournot and Lyapunov meet in potential games.