Computational Complexity of Multi-Player Evolutionarily Stable Strategies

Abstract

In this paper we study the computational complexity of computing an evolutionary stable strategy (ESS) in multi-player symmetric games. For two-player games, deciding existence of an ESS is complete for Σ p 2 , the second level of the polynomial time hierarchy. We show that deciding existence of an ESS of a multiplayer game is closely connected to the second level of the real polynomial time hierarchy. Namely, we show that the problem is hard for a complexity class we denote as ∃ D • ∀R and is a member of ∃∀R, where the former class restrict the latter by having the existentially quantified variables be Boolean rather then real-valued. As a special case of our results it follows that deciding whether a given strategy is an ESS is complete for ∀R.A concept strongly related to ESS is that of a locally superior strategy (LSS). We extend our results about ESS and show that deciding existence of an LSS of a multiplayer game is likewise hard for ∃ D • ∀R and a member of ∃∀R, and as a special case that deciding whether a given strategy is an LSS is complete for ∀R.