Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2015/iii/paper-38/6/a/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2015 iii Paper 38 6 a Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Apply positive affine payoff transformations, if necessary, so both payoff matrices have strictly positive entries. Such transformations preserve best responses and Nash equilibria. The Lemke-Howson algorithm uses unnormalized nonnegative strategy vectors and slack variables satisfyingThus its two polytopes are and . A label occurs when or ; a label occurs when or . The complementary pivoting path drops one label from the artificial zero pair and resolves each duplicated label until all labels return.
Terminate at a completely labelled pair other than the artificial zero pair. This is equivalent to complementary slacknessA nonzero completely labelled pair has both vectors nonzero: if , then forces , and the converse is analogous. Normalize to mixed strategiesThe inequalities imply that every row payoff against is at most , with equality on every row receiving positive probability in . Thus is a best response to . Likewise is a best response to using . Hence is a Nash equilibrium. Nondegeneracy of a bimatrix game ensures the usual complementary pivoting path has a unique continuation after the label choice.
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