IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/thpobi/v146y2022icp36-45.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Solving multispecies population games in continuous space and time

Author

Listed:
  • Frølich, Emil F.
  • Thygesen, Uffe H.

Abstract

Game theory has emerged as an important tool to understand interacting populations in the last 50 years. Game theory has been applied to study population dynamics with optimal behavior in simple ecosystem models, but existing methods are generally not applicable to complex systems. In order to use game-theory for population dynamics in heterogeneous habitats, habitats are usually split into patches and game-theoretic methods are used to find optimal patch distributions at every instant. However, populations in the real world interact in continuous space, and the assumption of decisions based on perfect information is a large simplification. Here, we develop a method to study population dynamics for interacting populations, distributed optimally in continuous space. A continuous setting allows us to model bounded rationality, and its impact on population dynamics. This is made possible by our numerical advances in solving multiplayer games in continuous space. Our approach hinges on reformulating the instantaneous game, applying an advanced discretization method and modern optimization software to solve it. We apply the method to an idealized case involving the population dynamics and vertical distribution of forage fish preying on copepods. Incorporating continuous space and time, we can model the seasonal variation in the migration, separating the effects of light and population numbers. We arrive at qualitative agreement with empirical findings. Including bounded rationality gives rise to spatial distributions corresponding to reality, while the population dynamics for bounded rationality and complete rationality are equivalent. Our approach is general, and can easily be used for complex ecosystems.

Suggested Citation

  • Frølich, Emil F. & Thygesen, Uffe H., 2022. "Solving multispecies population games in continuous space and time," Theoretical Population Biology, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 36-45.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:thpobi:v:146:y:2022:i:c:p:36-45
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tpb.2022.06.002
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0040580922000417
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.tpb.2022.06.002?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Adrien Blanchet & Guillaume Carlier, 2016. "Optimal Transport and Cournot-Nash Equilibria," Mathematics of Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 41(1), pages 125-145, February.
    2. Křivan, Vlastimil & Cressman, Ross & Schneider, Candace, 2008. "The ideal free distribution: A review and synthesis of the game-theoretic perspective," Theoretical Population Biology, Elsevier, vol. 73(3), pages 403-425.
    3. ABDALLA, A. & COOPER, R. & DEJONG, D. & FORSYTHE, R. & Tom Ross, 1989. "Forward Induction In Coordination And Battle Of The Sexes Games: Some Experimental Results," Carleton Industrial Organization Research Unit (CIORU) 89-11, Carleton University, Department of Economics.
    4. Herbert A. Simon, 1955. "A Behavioral Model of Rational Choice," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 69(1), pages 99-118.
    5. Russell Cooper & Douglas V. DeJong & Robert Forsythe & Thomas W. Ross, 1989. "Communication in the Battle of the Sexes Game: Some Experimental Results," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 20(4), pages 568-587, Winter.
    6. Dror Cohen & Guy Teichman & Meshi Volovich & Yoav Zeevi & Lilach Elbaum & Asaf Madar & Kenway Louie & Dino J. Levy & Oded Rechavi, 2019. "Bounded rationality in C. elegans is explained by circuit-specific normalization in chemosensory pathways," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-12, December.
    7. COOPER, R. & DEJONG, D.V. & FORSYTHE, R. & Tom Ross, 1989. "Communication In The Battle Of The Sexes Game," Carleton Industrial Organization Research Unit (CIORU) 89-03, Carleton University, Department of Economics.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Tetsuo Yamamori & Kazuyuki Iwata, 2023. "Wage claim detracts reciprocity in labor relations: experimental study of gift exchange games," Journal of Economic Interaction and Coordination, Springer;Society for Economic Science with Heterogeneous Interacting Agents, vol. 18(3), pages 573-597, July.
    2. Antonio Cabrales & Michalis Drouvelis & Zeynep Gurguy & Indrajit Ray, 2017. "Transparency is Overrated: Communicating in a Coordination Game with Private Information," CESifo Working Paper Series 6781, CESifo.
    3. Grossman, Philip J. & Eckel, Catherine & Komai, Mana & Zhan, Wei, 2019. "It pays to be a man: Rewards for leaders in a coordination game," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 161(C), pages 197-215.
    4. Tjaša Bjedov & Thierry Madiès & Marie Claire Villeval, 2016. "Communication And Coordination In A Two-Stage Game," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 54(3), pages 1519-1540, July.
    5. Paola Manzini & Abdolkarim Sadrieh & Nicolaas J. Vriend, 2009. "On Smiles, Winks and Handshakes as Coordination Devices," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 119(537), pages 826-854, April.
    6. Sheryl Ball & Chetan Dave & Stefan Dodds, 2023. "Enumerating rights: more is not always better," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 196(3), pages 403-425, September.
    7. Hu, Youxin & Kagel, John & Yang, Huanxing & Zhang, Lan, 2020. "The effects of pre-play communication in a coordination game with incomplete information," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 176(C), pages 403-415.
    8. Elanor F. Williams & Alicea Lieberman & On Amir, 2021. "Perspective neglect: Inadequate perspective taking limits coordination," Judgment and Decision Making, Society for Judgment and Decision Making, vol. 16(4), pages 898-931, July.
    9. GRANDJEAN, Gilles & MANTOVANI, Marco & MAULEON, Ana & VANNETELBOSCH, Vincent, 2014. "Whom are you talking with ? An experiment on credibility and communication structure," LIDAM Discussion Papers CORE 2014042, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
    10. Feicht, Robert & Grimm, Veronika & Rau, Holger A. & Stephan, Gesine, 2015. "On the Impact of Quotas and Decision Rules in Ultimatum Collective Bargaining," IZA Discussion Papers 9506, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    11. Kriss, Peter H. & Blume, Andreas & Weber, Roberto A., 2016. "Coordination with decentralized costly communication," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 225-241.
    12. John Duffy & Jonathan Lafky, 2018. "Living a Lie: Theory and Evidence on Public Preference Falsification," Working Papers 2018-01, Carleton College, Department of Economics.
    13. Agranov, Marina & Tergiman, Chloe, 2014. "Communication in multilateral bargaining," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 75-85.
    14. Robert Nau, 2015. "Risk-neutral equilibria of noncooperative games," Theory and Decision, Springer, vol. 78(2), pages 171-188, February.
    15. Joseph Farrell & Matthew Rabin, 1996. "Cheap Talk," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 10(3), pages 103-118, Summer.
    16. Lars Gårn Hansen, 2015. "A Montero auction mechanism for regulating unobserved use of the commons," IFRO Working Paper 2015/07, University of Copenhagen, Department of Food and Resource Economics.
    17. Zhuozheng Li & Huanxing Yang & Lan Zhang, 2019. "Pre-communication in a coordination game with incomplete information," International Journal of Game Theory, Springer;Game Theory Society, vol. 48(1), pages 109-141, March.
    18. repec:cup:judgdm:v:16:y:2021:i:4:p:898-931 is not listed on IDEAS
    19. Duffy, John & Lafky, Jonathan, 2021. "Social conformity under evolving private preferences," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 104-124.
    20. Simanti Banerjee & Timothy N. Cason & Frans P. de Vries & Nick Hanley, 2015. "Spatial Coordination in Agglomeration Bonus Schemes with Transaction Costs and Communication: An Experimental Study," Discussion Papers in Environment and Development Economics 2015-10, University of St. Andrews, School of Geography and Sustainable Development.
    21. Christoph Feldhaus & Julia Stauf, 2016. "More than words: the effects of cheap talk in a volunteer’s dilemma," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 19(2), pages 342-359, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:thpobi:v:146:y:2022:i:c:p:36-45. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/intelligence .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.