Generalized Cops and Robbers: A Multi-player Pursuit Game on Graphs

Ath. Kehagias ()
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Ath. Kehagias: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Dynamic Games and Applications, 2019, vol. 9, issue 4, No 10, 1076-1099

Abstract: Abstract We introduce and study the Generalized Cops and Robbers (GCR) game, an N-player pursuit game in graphs. The two-player version is essentially equivalent to the classic Cops and Robbers (CR) game. The three-player version can be understood as two CR games played simultaneously on the same graph; a player can be at the same time both pursuer and evader. The same is true for four or more players. We formulate GCR as a discounted stochastic game of perfect information and prove that, for three or more players, it has at least two Nash equilibria: one in positional deterministic strategies and another in nonpositional ones. We also study the capturing properties of GCR Nash equilibria in connection with the cop number of a graph. Finally, we briefly discuss GCR as a member of a wider family of multi-player graph pursuit games with rather interesting properties.

Keywords: N-player game; Pursuit; Cops and robbers (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1007/s13235-018-0288-0

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