The potentially negative effects of cooperation in service systems

2020 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 319-347
Author(s):  
Hakjin Chung ◽  
Hyun-Soo Ahn ◽  
Rhonda Righter
Keyword(s):  
Stackelberg Game ◽  
Price Of Anarchy ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Social Benefit ◽  
Service Systems ◽  
Price Setting ◽  
Service Model ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Multi Agent ◽  
Profit Maximizing

AbstractThe ‘Price of Anarchy’ states that the performance of multi-agent service systems degrades with the agents’ selfishness (anarchy). We investigate a service model in which both customers and the firm are strategic. We find that, for a Stackelberg game in which the server invests in capacity before customers decide whether or not to join, there can be a ‘Benefit of Anarchy’, that is, customers acting selfishly can have a greater overall utility than customers who are coordinated to maximize their overall utility. We also show that customer anarchy can be socially beneficial, resulting in a ‘Social Benefit of Anarchy’. We show that such phenomena are rather general and can arise in multiple settings (e.g. in both profit-maximizing and welfare-maximizing firms, in both capacity-setting and price-setting firms, and in both observable and unobservable queues). However, the underlying mechanism leading to the Benefit of Anarchy can differ significantly from one setting to another.

scholarly journals Event-Triggered Bipartite Consensus of Single-Integrator Multi-Agent Systems with Measurement Noise

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Cui-Qin Ma ◽  
Yun-Bo Zhao ◽  
Wei-Guo Sun
Keyword(s):  
Sufficient Conditions ◽  
Measurement Noise ◽  
Mean Square ◽  
Multi Agent Systems ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Consensus Protocol ◽  
Agent Systems ◽  
Multi Agent ◽  
Bipartite Consensus ◽  
Event Triggered

Event-triggered bipartite consensus of single-integrator multi-agent systems is investigated in the presence of measurement noise. A time-varying gain function is proposed in the event-triggered bipartite consensus protocol to reduce the negative effects of the noise corrupted information processed by the agents. Using the state transition matrix, Ito^ formula, and the algebraic graph theory, necessary and sufficient conditions are given for the proposed protocol to yield mean square bipartite consensus. We find that the weakest communication requirement to ensure the mean square bipartite consensus under event-triggered protocol is that the signed digraph is structurally balanced and contains a spanning tree. Numerical examples validated the theoretical findings where the system shows no Zeno behavior.

scholarly journals Multi-agent Contracting and Reconfiguration in Competitive Environments using Acquaintance Models

10.14311/838 ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Bíba ◽  
J. Vokřínek
Keyword(s):  
Crucial Role ◽  
Profit Maximization ◽  
Price Setting ◽  
Collaborative Environments ◽  
Contract Price ◽  
Competitive Environments ◽  
Multi Agent ◽  
Competitive Contracting

Cooperation of agents in competitive environments is more complicated than in collaborative environments. Both replanning and reconfiguration play a crucial role in cooperation, and introduce a means for implementating a system flexibility. The concepts of commitments, decommitments with penalties and subcontracting may facilitate effective reconfiguration and replanning. Agents in competitive environments are fully autonomous and selfinterested. Therefore the setting of penalties and profit computation cannot be provided centrally. Both the costs and the gain differ from agent to agent with respect to contracts already agreed and resources load. This paper proposes an acquaintance model for contracting in competitive environments and introduces possibilities of reconfigurating in competitive environments as a means of decommitment optimization with respect to resources load and profit maximization. The presented algorithm for contract price setting does not use any centralized knowledge and provides results corresponding to a realistic environment. A simple customerprovider scenario proves this algorithm in competitive contracting. 

STACKELBERG GAME, VERTICAL RELATIONS AND R&D INVESTMENTS: ARE THERE FIRST-MOVER ADVANTAGES?

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
APOSTOLIS PAVLOU
Keyword(s):  
Stackelberg Game ◽  
Price Setting ◽  
Vertical Relations ◽  
First Mover

This paper studies a Stackelberg game among the downstream firms in a vertical industry where one-way R&D spillovers occur, from the leader to the follower. When the upstream market is perfectly competitive under certain conditions the standard first-mover advantages disappear. When we move to the upstream monopolistic case we find that despite the existence of spillovers in most of the cases, the leader gets higher profits and thus first-mover advantages are reinstated due to the price setting behavior of the upstream firm. It therefore challenges to some extent the “naive” idea that under one-way spillovers there are no incentives for early movers.

scholarly journals The Design and Evaluation of User Interfaces for the RADAR Learning Personal Assistant

AI Magazine ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Faulring ◽  
Ken Mohnkern ◽  
Aaron Steinfeld ◽  
Brad Myers
Keyword(s):  
User Interfaces ◽  
Interaction Design ◽  
Office Workers ◽  
Multi Agent System ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Email Overload ◽  
Novice Users ◽  
Multi Agent ◽  
Personal Assistant ◽  
Mixed Initiative

The RADAR project developed a large multi-agent system with a mixed-initiative user interface designed to help office workers cope with email overload. Most RADAR agents observe experts performing tasks and then assist other users who are performing similar tasks. The interaction design for RADAR focused on developing user interfaces that allowed the intelligent functionality to improve the user’s workflow without frustrating the user when the system’s suggestions were either unhelpful or simply incorrect. For example with regards to autonomy, the RADAR agents were allowed much flexibility in selecting ways to assist the user, but were restricted from taking actions that would be visible to other people. This policy ensured that the user remained in control and mitigated the negative effects of mistakes. A large evaluation of RADAR demonstrated that novice users confronted with an email overload test performed significantly better, achieving a 37% better overall score when assisted by RADAR. The evaluation showed that AI technologies can help users accomplish their goals.

scholarly journals Using Game Theory for Los Angeles Airport Security

AI Magazine ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 43 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Pita ◽  
Manish Jain ◽  
Fernando Ordóñez ◽  
Christopher Portway ◽  
Milind Tambe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Los Angeles ◽  
Stackelberg Game ◽  
Information Design ◽  
Airport Security ◽  
Stackelberg Games ◽  
Mixed Strategies ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Multi Agent ◽  
Mixed Initiative ◽  
Airport Terminals

Security at major locations of economic or political importance is a key concern around the world, particularly given the threat of terrorism. Limited security resources prevent full security coverage at all times, which allows adversaries to observe and exploit patterns in selective patrolling or monitoring, e.g. they can plan an attack avoiding existing patrols. Hence, randomized patrolling or monitoring is important, but randomization must provide distinct weights to different actions based on their complex costs and benefits. To this end, this paper describes a promising transition of the latest in multi-agent algorithms into a deployed application. In particular, it describes a software assistant agent called ARMOR (Assistant for Randomized Monitoring over Routes) that casts this patrolling/monitoring problem as a Bayesian Stackelberg game, allowing the agent to appropriately weigh the different actions in randomization, as well as uncertainty over adversary types. ARMOR combines two key features: (i) It uses the fastest known solver for Bayesian Stackelberg games called DOBSS, where the dominant mixed strategies enable randomization; (ii) Its mixed-initiative based interface allows users to occasionally adjust or override the automated schedule based on their local constraints. ARMOR has been successfully deployed since August 2007 at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to randomize checkpoints on the roadways entering the airport and canine patrol routes within the airport terminals. This paper examines the information, design choices, challenges, and evaluation that went into designing ARMOR.

Reducing library space can promote the shift from storage of print-collections towards a learning-centre without limiting the access to information

2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (8/9) ◽  
pp. 685-689 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mia Haapanen ◽  
Pirkko Kultamaa ◽  
Tuulevi Ovaska ◽  
Kirsi Salmi
Keyword(s):  
Information Seeking ◽  
Physical Space ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Service Model ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Medical Library ◽  
New Space ◽  
Space Requirements ◽  
New Location

Purpose – Libraries have changed due to many things, one of them being the shift from printed to electronic resources. Libraries become learning centres, providing more space for customers and less for stacks. Though information seeking habits have changed, especially students need places for studying and group work. In the case of Kuopio University Hospital Medical Library the shift has been influenced by space requirements for other hospital functions. The reduction of current physical space has led to revised collection policy that is now taking its final steps when the library is preparing to move to a new space. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – First, a 650 m2 library space was remodelled to a 450 m2 without major negative effects on services. Second, the hospital has assigned the medical library a new location where a new library space and learning centre will be renovated. Less space for print collections means that reliable delivery from print resources is crucial. Findings – Due to the merger of two universities’ collections to one multi-campus collection and to quick delivery service from the National Repository Library as well as good logistic services the authors are able to provide the customers with a possibility to use wide collections even if the own print-collections are small. Research limitations/implications – The paper describes the collection policy and the service model of one library. Originality/value – Small visible collections can be a challenge as the shelves are few. Creating awareness through marketing is essential. Campaigns, QR codes, big screens, user education, social media and everyday individual guidance are among the tools of creating wider awareness.

scholarly journals When Being in the Minority Pays Off

2017 ◽  
Vol 82 (1) ◽  
pp. 147-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amandine Ody-Brasier ◽  
Isabel Fernandez-Mateo
Keyword(s):  
Social Relationships ◽  
Intergroup Relations ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Price Setting ◽  
Local Constraints ◽  
Market Prices ◽  
Intergroup Processes ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Sociological Literature

Economic sociologists have studied how social relationships shape market prices by focusing mostly on vertical interactions between buyers and sellers. In this article, we examine instead the price consequences of horizontal relationships that arise from intergroup processes among sellers. Our setting is the market for Champagne grapes. Using proprietary transaction-level data, we find that female grape growers—a minority in the growers’ community—charge systematically higher prices than do male grape growers. We argue that the underlying mechanism for this unexpected pattern of results involves the relationships developed and maintained by minority members. Specifically, in-depth fieldwork reveals that female growers get together to compensate for their isolation from the majority. This behavior enables them to overcome local constraints on the availability of price-relevant information, constraints that stem from prevailing norms of market behavior: individualism and secrecy. We discuss the implications of these findings for the study of how relationships shape price-setting processes, for the sociological literature on intergroup relations, and for our understanding of inequality in markets.

scholarly journals Isoniazid causes heart looping disorder of zebrafish embryo by inducing oxidative stress

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongye WANG ◽  
Liu Yihai ◽  
Wei Xiyi ◽  
cheng cao ◽  
Hu Tingting
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Transcription Factors ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Transgenic Zebrafish ◽  
Zebrafish Embryos ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Developing Heart ◽  
Heart Looping

Abstract The cardiotoxicity of isoniazid on zebrafish embryos and its underlying mechanism remained unclear. Here, we exposed zebrafish embryos at 4 hours post fertilization to different levels of isoniazid and recorded the morphology and number of malformed and dead embryos under the microscope. The high concentration of isoniazid group showed more malformed and dead embryos compared with low dose of isoniazid group and control group. Besides, the morphology of heart and its alteration were visualized using the transgenic zebrafish (cmlc2: GFP) and confirmed by in situ hybridization. The negative effects of isoniazid on the developing heart were characterized by lower heart rate and more heart looping disorders. Mechanistically, PCR showed decreased expression of heart-specific transcription factors exposed to isoniazid. Oxidative stress was induced by Isoniazid in cardiomyocytes, mediated by decreased activity of CAT and SOD, which could be rescued by ROS scavenger. In conclusion, we demonstrated that isoniazid lead to heart looping disturbance by downregulating cardiac specific transcription factors and inducing cardiomyocytes apoptosis.

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