Evolutionary Dynamics in Heterogeneous Populations: A General Framework for an Arbitrary Type Distribution

S-Tier
Journal: Review of Economic Studies
Year: 2021
Volume: 88
Issue: 4
Pages: 2094-2118

Score contribution per author:

8.043 = (α=2.01 / 1 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Strategies of players in a population are updated according to the behavioural rules of agents, where each agent is a player or a coalition of players. It is known that classic results on the stochastic stability of conventions are due to an asymmetry property of the strategy updating process. We show that asymmetry can be defined at the level of the behavioural rule and that asymmetric rules can be mixed and matched whilst retaining asymmetry of the aggregate process. Specifically, we show robustness of asymmetry to heterogeneity within an agent (Alice follows different rules at different times); heterogeneity between agents (Alice and Bob follow different rules); and heterogeneity in the timing of strategy updating. These results greatly expand and convexify the domain of behavioural rules for which results on the stochastic stability of conventions are known.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:oup:restud:v:88:y:2021:i:4:p:2094-2118.
Journal Field
General
Author Count
1
Added to Database
2026-01-26