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arXiv · 2405.08206

Beyond Theorems: A Counterexample to Potential Markov Game Criteria

Fatemeh Fardno·Seyed Majid Zahedi
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Abstract

There are only limited classes of multi-player stochastic games in which independent learning is guaranteed to converge to a Nash equilibrium. Markov potential games are a key example of such classes. Prior work has outlined sets of sufficient conditions for a stochastic game to qualify as a Markov potential game. However, these conditions often impose strict limitations on the game's structure and tend to be challenging to verify. To address these limitations, Mguni et al. [12] introduce a relaxed notion of Markov potential games and offer an alternative set of necessary conditions for categorizing stochastic games as potential games. Under these conditions, the authors claim that a deterministic Nash equilibrium can be computed efficiently by solving a dual Markov decision process. In this paper, we offer evidence refuting this claim by presenting a counterexample.

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Fatemeh Fardno, Seyed Majid Zahedi. 2024-05-13. Beyond Theorems: A Counterexample to Potential Markov Game Criteria. https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.08206

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