Non-transitivity can arise in games with three or more strategies $A,B,C$, when $A$ beats $B$, $B$ beats $C$, and $C$ beats $A$, ($A>B>C>A$). An example is the children's game \textquotedblleft rock, scissors, paper" ($R,S,P$) where $R>S>P>R$. We discuss the conditions under which quantum versions of $R,S,P$ retain the non-transitive characteristics of the corresponding classical game. Some physical implications of non-transitivity in quantum game theory are also considered.
We study the effect of quantum noise in 3 by 3 entangled quantum games. By considering different noisy quantum channels we analyze that how a two-player, three-strategy Rock-Scissor-Paper game is influenced by the quantum noise. We consider the winning non-transitive strategies R, S and P such as R beats S, S beats P, and P beats R. The game behaves as a noiseless game for maximum value of the quantum noise parameter. It is seen that Alice's payoff is heavily influenced by the depolarizing noise as compared to the amplitude damping noise. Depolarizing channel causes a monotonic decrease in pla…
The transitivity of preferences is one of the basic assumptions used in the theory of games and decisions. It is often equated with rationality of choice and is considered useful in building rankings. Intransitive preferences are considered paradoxical and undesirable. This problem is discussed by many social and natural sciences. The paper discusses a simple model of sequential game in which two players in each iteration of the game choose one of the two elements. They make their decisions in different contexts defined by the rules of the game. It appears that the optimal strategy of one of t…
We compare two different ways of quantization a simple sequential game Cat's Dilemma in the context of the debate on intransitive and transitive preferences. This kind of analysis can have essential meaning for the research on the artificial intelligence (some possibilities are discussed). Nature has both properties transitive and intransitive and maybe quantum models can be more able to capture this dualism than classical one. We also present electoral interpretation of the game.
We represent quantum observables as POVMs (normalized positive operator valued measures) and consider convex sets of observables which are covariant with respect to a unitary representation of a locally compact Abelian symmetry group $G$. The value space of such observables is a transitive $G$-space. We characterize the extreme points of covariant observables and also determine the covariant extreme points of the larger set of all quantum observables. The results are applied to position, position difference and time observables.
Our preferences depend on the circumstances in which we reveal them. We will introduce a dependency which allows us to illustrate the relation between the possibility of winning of particular candidates in a quantum election and the type of preference. It occurs that if voters start to clearly prefer one of the candidates, the significance of intransitive preferences in the quantum model decreases. This dynamic change cannot be observed in the case of the classical model.
The lackadaisical quantum walk is a discrete-time, coined quantum walk on a graph with a weighted self-loop at each vertex. It uses a generalized Grover coin and the flip-flop shift, which makes it equivalent to Szegedy's quantum Markov chain. It has been shown that a lackadaisical quantum walk can improve spatial search on the complete graph, discrete torus, cycle, and regular complete bipartite graph. In this paper, we observe that these are all vertex-transitive graphs, and when there is a unique marked vertex, the optimal weight of the self-loop equals the degree of the loopless graph divi…
Certain alternative properties of physical systems are describable by supports of arguments of response functions (e.g. light cone, borders of media) and expressed by projectors; corresponding equations of restraints lead to dispersion relations, theorems of counting, etc. As supports are measurable, their absolutely strict borders contradict the spirit of quantum theory and their quantum evolution leading to appearance of subtractions or certain needed flattening would be considered. Flattening of projectors introduce transitive zones that can be examined as a specification of adiabatic hypot…
The lackadaisical quantum walk is a quantum analogue of the lazy random walk obtained by adding a self-loop to each vertex in the graph. We analytically prove that lackadaisical quantum walks can find a unique marked vertex on any regular locally arc-transitive graph with constant success probability quadratically faster than the hitting time. This result proves several speculations and numerical findings in previous work, including the conjectures that the lackadaisical quantum walk finds a unique marked vertex with constant success probability on the torus, cycle, Johnson graphs, and other c…
We describe a quantum model of simple choice game (constructed upon entangled state of two qubits), which involves the fundamental problem of transitive - intransitive preferences. We compare attainability of optimal intransitive strategies in both classical and quantum models with the use of geometrical interpretation.
A framework for discussing relationships between different types of games is proposed. Within the framework, quantum simultaneous games, finite quantum simultaneous games, quantum sequential games, and finite quantum sequential games are defined. In addition, a notion of equivalence between two games is defined. Finally, the following three theorems are shown: (1) For any quantum simultaneous game G, there exists a quantum sequential game equivalent to G. (2) For any finite quantum simultaneous game G, there exists a finite quantum sequential game equivalent to G. (3) For any finite quantum se…
We study the problem of \emph{local search} on a graph. Given a real-valued black-box function f on the graph's vertices, this is the problem of determining a local minimum of f--a vertex v for which f(v) is no more than f evaluated at any of v's neighbors. In 1983, Aldous gave the first strong lower bounds for the problem, showing that any randomized algorithm requires $Ω(2^{n/2 - o(1)})$ queries to determine a local minima on the n-dimensional hypercube. The next major step forward was not until 2004 when Aaronson, introducing a new method for query complexity bounds, both strengthened this …
The noncooperative Nash equilibrium solution of classical games corresponds to a rational expectations attitude on the part of the players. However, in many cases, games played by human players have outcomes very different from Nash equilibria. A restricted version of quantum games is proposed to implement, in mathematical games, the interplay of self-interest and internalized social norms that rules human behavior.
An example of the macroscopic game of two partners consisting of two classical games played simultaneously with special dependence of strategies is considered. The average profit of each partner is equal to the average profit obtained in the quantum game with two noncommuting operators for the spin one half system with strategies defined by the wave function. Nash equilibria in the macroscopic game coincide with Nash equilibria of the quantum game.
We study possible influence of not necessarily sincere arbiter on the course of classical and quantum 2x2 games and we show that this influence in the quantum case is much bigger than in the classical case. Extreme sensitivity of quantum games on initial states of quantum objects used as carriers of information in a game shows that a quantum game, contrary to a classical game, is not defined by a payoff matrix alone but also by an initial state of objects used to play a game. Therefore, two quantum games that have the same payoff matrices but begin with different initial states should be consi…
Several variants of nonlocal games have been considered in the study of quantum entanglement and nonlocality. This paper concerns two of these variants, called quantum-classical games and extended nonlocal games. We give a construction of an extended nonlocal game from any quantum-classical game that allows one to translate certain facts concerning quantum- classical games to extended nonlocal games. In particular, based on work of Regev and Vidick, we conclude that there exist extended nonlocal games for which no finite-dimensional entangled strategy can be optimal. While this conclusion is a…
A game-theoretic setting provides a mathematical basis for analysis of strategic interaction among competing agents and provides insights into both classical and quantum decision theory and questions of strategic choice. An outstanding mathematical question, is to understand the conditions under which a classical game-theoretic setting can be transformed to a quantum game, and under which conditions there is an equivalence. In this paper, we consider quantum games as those that allow non-factorizable probabilities. We discuss two approaches for obtaining a non-factorizable game and study the o…
Quantum pseudo-telepathy games are good examples of explaining the strangeness of quantum mechanics and demonstrating the advantage of quantum resources over classical resources. Most of the quantum pseudo-telepathy games are common interest games, nevertheless conflicting interest games are more widely used to model real world situations. Recently Pappa et al. (Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 020401, 2015) proposed the first two-party conflicting interest game where quantum advice enhances social optimality. In the present paper we give two new three-party conflicting interest games and show that quant…
We pursue a general theory of quantum games. We show that quantum games are more efficient than classical games, and provide a saturated upper bound for this efficiency. We demonstrate that the set of finite classical games is a strict subset of the set of finite quantum games. We also deduce the quantum version of the Minimax Theorem and the Nash Equilibrium Theorem.
We present a perspective on quantum games that focuses on the physical aspects of the quantities that are used to implement a game. If a game is to be played, it has to be played with objects and actions that have some physical existence. We call such games playable. By focusing on the notion of playability for games we can more clearly see the distinction between classical and quantum games and tackle the thorny issue of what it means to quantize a game. The approach we take can more properly be thought of as gaming the quantum rather than quantizing a game and we find that in this perspectiv…
Quantum games have proposed a new point of view for the solution of the classical problems and dilemmas in game theory. Certain quantization relationships can be proposed with the objective that a game can be generalized into a quantum domain where the linear superposition of actions is allowed. This quantization let us describe and solution problems originated by conflicting or cooperative behaviors among the members of a system from the point of view of quantum mechanical interactions. This leads us to interesting aspects which only can be observed through the quantization of a game like the…
Coordination and cooperation are among the most important issues of game theory. Recently, the attention turned to game theory on graphs and social networks. Encouraged by interesting results obtained in quantum evolutionary game analysis, we study cooperative Parrondo's games in a quantum setup. The game is modeled using multidimensional quantum random walks with biased coins. We use the GHZ and W entangled states as the initial state of the coins. Our analysis shows than an apparent paradox in cooperative quantum games and some interesting phenomena can be observed.
We quantize prisoners dilemma and chicken game by our generalized quantization scheme to explore the role of quantum discord in quantum games. In order to establish this connection we use Werner-like state as an initial state of the game. In this quantization scheme measurement can be performed in entangled as well as in product basis. For the measurement in entangled basis the dilemma in both the games can be resolved by separable states with non-zero quantum discord. Similarly for product basis measurement the payoffs are quantum mechanical only for nonzero values of quantum discord.
We pursue the possible connections between classical games and quantum computation. The Parrondo game is one in which a random combination of two losing games produces a winning game. We introduce novel realizations of this Parrondo effect in which the player can `win' via random reflections and rotations of the state-vector, and connect these to known quantum algorithms.
A quantum logic gate of particular interest to both electrical engineers and game theorists is the quantum multiplexer. This shared interest is due to the facts that an arbitrary quantum logic gate may be expressed, up to arbitrary accuracy, via a circuit consisting entirely of variations of the quantum multiplexer, and that certain one player games, the history dependent Parrondo games, can be quantized as games via a particular variation of the quantum multiplexer. However, to date all such quantizations have lacked a certain fundamental game theoretic property. The main result in this disse…
We use the example of playing a 2-player game with entangled quantum objects to investigate the effect of quantum correlation. We find that for simple game scenarios it is classical correlation that is the central feature and that these simple quantum games are not sensitive to the quantum part of the correlation. In these games played with quantum objects it is possible to transform a game such as Prisoner's Dilemma into the game of Chicken. We show that this behaviour, and the associated enhanced equilibrium payoff over playing the game with quantum objects in non-entangled states, is entire…
A quantum version of the Matching Pennies (MP) game is proposed that is played using an Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen-Bohm (EPR-Bohm) setting. We construct the quantum game without using the state vectors, while considering only the quantum mechanical joint probabilities relevant to the EPR-Bohm setting. We embed the classical game within the quantum game such that the classical MP game results when the quantum mechanical joint probabilities become factorizable. We report new Nash equilibria in the quantum MP game that emerge when the quantum mechanical joint probabilities maximally violate the Clau…
Categorical quantum mechanics, which examines quantum theory via dagger-compact closed categories, gives satisfying high-level explanations to the quantum information procedures such as Bell-type entanglement or complementary observables (\cite{AC}, \cite{Co}, \cite{Co2}). Inspired by the fact that Quantum Game Theory can be seen as branch of quantum information, we express Quantum Game Theory procedures using the topological semantics provided by Categorical Quantum Mechanics. We also investigate Bayesian Games with correlation from this novel point of view while considering the connection be…
The physical world obeys the rules of quantum, as opposed to classical, physics. Since the playing of any particular game requires physical resources, the question arises as to how Game Theory itself would change if it were extended into the quantum domain. Here we provide a general formalism for {\em quantum} games, and illustrate the explicit application of this new formalism to a quantized version of the well-known prisoner's dilemma game.
In this work we propose and develop modified quantum games (zero and non-zero sum) in which payoffs and strategies are entangled. For the games studied, Nash and Pareto equilibriums are always obtained indicating that there are some interesting cases where quantum games can be applied.
Quantum guessing games form a versatile framework for studying different tasks of information processing. A quantum guessing game with posterior information uses quantum systems to encode messages and classical communication to give partial information after a quantum measurement has been performed. We present a general framework for quantum guessing games with posterior information and derive structure and reduction theorems that enable to analyze any such game. We formalize symmetry of guessing games and characterize the optimal measurements in cases where the symmetry is related to an irred…
The game of Prisoner Dilemma is analyzed to study the role of measurement basis in quantum games. Four different types of payoffs for quantum games are identified on the basis of different combinations of initial state and measurement basis. A relation among these different payoffs is established.
Methods of exploring Nash equilibrium in quantum games are studied. Analytical conditions of the existence, the uniqueness or the multiplicity of the equilibria are found.
Recent development in quantum computation and quantum information theory allows to extend the scope of game theory for the quantum world. The paper presents the history, basic ideas and recent development in quantum game theory. On grounds of the discussed material, we reason about possible future development of quantum game theory and its impact on information processing and the emerging information society.
We address the question of when quantum entanglement is a useful resource for information processing tasks by presenting a new class of nonlocal games that are simple, direct, generalizations of the Clauser Horne Shimony Holt game. For some ranges of the parameters that specify the games, quantum mechanics offers an advantage, while, surprisingly, for others quantum mechanics is no more powerful than classical mechanics in performing the nonlocal task. This sheds new light on the difference between classical, quantum and super-quantum correlations.
The so called \emph{quantum game theory} has recently been proclaimed as one of the new branches in the development of both quantum information theory and game theory. However, the notion of a quantum game itself has never been strictly defined, which has led to a lot of conceptual confusion among different authors. In this paper we introduce a new conceptual framework of a \emph{scenario} and an \emph{implementation} of a game. It is shown that the procedures of "quantization" of games proposed in the literature lead in fact to several different games which can be defined within the same scen…
This essay gives a self-contained introduction to quantum game theory, and is primarily oriented to economists with little or no acquaintance with quantum mechanics. It assumes little more than a basic knowledge of vector algebra. Quantum mechanical notation and results are introduced as needed. It is also shown that some fundamental problems of quantum mechanics can be formulated as games.
The influence of spontaneous emission channel and generalized Pauli channel on quantum Monty Hall Game is analysed. The scheme of Flittney and Abbott is reformulated using the formalism of density matrices. Optimal classical strategies for given quantum strategies are found. The whole presented scheme illustrates how quantum noise may change the odds of a zero-sum game.
We investigate the quantization of non-zero sum games. For the particular case of the Prisoners' Dilemma we show that this game ceases to pose a dilemma if quantum strategies are allowed for. We also construct a particular quantum strategy which always gives reward if played against any classical strategy.
In recent years methods have been proposed to extend classical game theory into the quantum domain. This paper explores further extensions of these ideas that may have a substantial potential for further research. Upon reformulating quantum game theory as a theory of classical games played by "quantum players" I take a constructive approach. The roles of the players and the arbiter are investigated for clues on the nature of the quantum game space. Upon examination of the role of the arbiter, a possible non-commutative nature of pay-off operators can be deduced. I investigate a sub-class of ga…
The aim of the paper is to examine the notion of simple Kantian equilibrium in $2 \times 2$ symmetric games and their quantum counterparts. We focus on finding the Kantian equilibrium strategies in the general form of the games. As a result, we derive a formula that determines the reasonable strategies for any payoffs in the bimatrix game. This allowed us to compare the payoff results for classical and quantum way of playing the game. We showed that a very large part of $2\times 2$ symmetric games have more beneficial Kantian equilibria when they are played with the use of quantum strategies.
We study a quantum game played by two players with restricted multiple strategies. It is found that in this restricted quantum game Nash equilibrium does not always exist when the initial state is entangled. At the same time, we find that when Nash equilibrium exists the pay off function is usually different from that in the classical counterpart except in some special cases. This presents an explicit example where quantum game and classical game may differ. When designing a quantum game with limited strategies, the allowed strategy should be carefully chosen according to the type of initial s…
Attention to the very physical aspects of information characterizes the current research in quantum computation, quantum cryptography and quantum communication. In most of the cases quantum description of the system provides advantages over the classical approach. Game theory, the study of decision making in conflict situation has already been extended to the quantum domain. We would like to review the latest development in quantum game theory that is relevant to information processing. We will begin by illustrating the general idea of a quantum game and methods of gaining an advantage over "c…
Effect of replacing the classical game object with a quantum object is analyzed. We find this replacement requires a throughout reformation of the framework of Game Theory. If we use density matrix to represent strategy state of players, they are full-structured density matrices with off-diagonal elements for the new games, while reduced diagonal density matrix will be enough for the traditional games on classical objects. In such formalism, the payoff function of every player becomes Hermitian Operator acting on the density matrix. Therefore, the new game looks really like Quantum Mechanics w…
In these lecture notes we investigate the implications of the identification of strategies with quantum operations in game theory beyond the results presented in [J. Eisert, M. Wilkens, and M. Lewenstein, Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 3077 (1999)]. After introducing a general framework, we study quantum games with a classical analogue in order to flesh out the peculiarities of game theoretical settings in the quantum domain. Special emphasis is given to a detailed investigation of different sets of quantum strategies.
In the article we analyse how noisiness of quantum channels can influence the magic squares quantum pseudo-telepathy game. We show that the probability of success can be used to determine characteristics of quantum channels. Therefore the game deserves more careful study aiming at its implementation.
We propose a scheme for a quantum game based on performing an EPR type experiment and in which each player's spatial directional choices are considered as their strategies. A classical mixed-strategy game is recovered by restricting the players' choices to specific spatial trajectories. We show that for players' directional choices for which the Bell-CHSH inequality is violated, the players' payoffs in the quantum game have no mapping within the classical mixed-strategy game. The scheme provides a more direct link between classical and quantum games.
We construct quantum games from a table of non-factorizable joint probabilities, coupled with a symmetry constraint, requiring symmetrical payoffs between the players. We give the general result for a Nash equilibrium and payoff relations for a game based on non-factorizable joint probabilities, which embeds the classical game. We study a quantum version of Prisoners' Dilemma, Stag Hunt, and the Chicken game constructed from a given table of non-factorizable joint probabilities to find new outcomes in these games. We show that this approach provides a general framework for both classical and q…
Quantum games are usually considered as games with strategies defined not by the standard Kolmogorovian probabilistic measure but by the probability amplitude used in quantum physics. The reason for the use of the probability amplitude or "quantum probabilistic measure", is the nondistributive lattice occurring in physical situations with quantum microparticles. In our paper we give examples of getting nondistributive orthomodular lattices in some special macroscopic situations without use of quantum microparticles.
We study optimal and nearly-optimal quantum strategies for non-local XOR games. First, we prove the following general result: for every non-local XOR game, there exists a set of relations with the properties: (1) a quantum strategy is optimal for the game if and only if it satisfies the relations, and (2) a quantum strategy is nearly optimal for the game if and only if it approximately satisfies the relations. Next, we focus attention on a specific infinite family of XOR games: the CHSH(n) games. This family generalizes the well-known CHSH game. We describe the general form of CHSH(n) optimal …
