This paper introduces a general stochastic game analysis of a network scenario consisting of a mix of cooperative and non-cooperative players (i.e., users) under incomplete game information. Users access a shared channel using the Slotted ALOHA mechanism combined with ZigZag Decoding (SAZD). Cooperative players seek to optimize the global utility of the system (e.g., throughput, delay, loss rate) regardless of their individual interests, whereas non-cooperative players act selfishly and optimize their own benefits irrespective of the impact of this behavior on others and on the entire network system. The game equilibrium is characterized by the social optimum and the Nash equilibrium, where the former is adopted by cooperative players and the latter is the equilibrium strategy of non-cooperative players. We undertake a comparative study across two game scenarios with different levels of cooperation and selfishness. Our results generally show that the information possessed by a player can determine the outcome. Furthermore, our findings show that the network performance is strongly influenced by selfish behavior, which can lead to a significant disruption of the entire system. Finally, we show a possible scenario in which the network could greatly benefit from this selfish behavior thanks to the ZigZag scheme.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.