A pseudo-polynomial algorithm for mean payoff stochastic games with perfect information and a few random positions

Endre Boros, Khaled Elbassioni, Vladimir Gurvich, Kazuhisa Makino

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

We consider two-person zero-sum stochastic mean payoff games with perfect information, or BWR-games, given by a digraph G = (V, E), with local rewards r: E → ℝ, and three types of vertices: black VB , white V W , and random V R forming a partition of V. It is a long-standing open question whether a polynomial time algorithm for BWR-games exists, or not. In fact, a pseudo-polynomial algorithm for these games would already imply their polynomial solvability. In this paper, we show that BWR-games with a constant number of random nodes can be solved in pseudo-polynomial time. That is, for any such game with a few random nodes |VR| = O(1), a saddle point in pure stationary strategies can be found in time polynomial in |VW| + |VB|, the maximum absolute local reward R, and the common denominator of the transition probabilities.

Original languageBritish English
Title of host publicationAutomata, Languages, and Programming - 40th International Colloquium, ICALP 2013, Proceedings
Pages220-231
Number of pages12
EditionPART 1
DOIs
StatePublished - 2013
Event40th International Colloquium on Automata, Languages, and Programming, ICALP 2013 - Riga, Latvia
Duration: 8 Jul 201312 Jul 2013

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
NumberPART 1
Volume7965 LNCS
ISSN (Print)0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)1611-3349

Conference

Conference40th International Colloquium on Automata, Languages, and Programming, ICALP 2013
Country/TerritoryLatvia
CityRiga
Period8/07/1312/07/13

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