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Stability by mutation in evolutionary games. (English) Zbl 0840.90141

Summary: Evolutionary game dynamics of mixed-strategy distributions typically exhibits continua of stationary states. We introduce a dynamical model of mutation in evolutionary games, in which all possible mixtures of \(n\) pure strategies are admitted. Although mutation generates random variability, its effect on the dynamics is to dissolve continua of neutrally stable equilibria into isolated, asymptotically stable ones. Unbeatability, i.e., uniform neutral stability, of strategies is related to the dynamic behavior under mutation, which is used to characterize the Nash condition. Simple conditions on the payoff ensuring global stability are specified, and the case of \(n= 2\) pure strategies is investigated in detail.

MSC:

91A07 Games with infinitely many players
92D15 Problems related to evolution
91A23 Differential games (aspects of game theory)
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