Characterizing Positionality in Games of Infinite Duration over Infinite Graphs

We study turn-based quantitative games of infinite duration opposing two antagonistic players and played over graphs. This model is widely accepted as providing the adequate framework for formalizing the synthesis question for reactive systems. This important application motivates the question of st...

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Main Author: Pierre Ohlmann
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: TheoretiCS Foundation e.V. 2023-01-01
Series:TheoretiCS
Subjects:
Online Access:https://theoretics.episciences.org/9724/pdf
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author Pierre Ohlmann
author_facet Pierre Ohlmann
author_sort Pierre Ohlmann
collection DOAJ
description We study turn-based quantitative games of infinite duration opposing two antagonistic players and played over graphs. This model is widely accepted as providing the adequate framework for formalizing the synthesis question for reactive systems. This important application motivates the question of strategy complexity: which valuations (or payoff functions) admit optimal positional strategies (without memory)? Valuations for which both players have optimal positional strategies have been characterized by Gimbert and Zielonka for finite graphs and by Colcombet and Niwi\'nski for infinite graphs. However, for reactive synthesis, existence of optimal positional strategies for the opponent (which models an antagonistic environment) is irrelevant. Despite this fact, not much is known about valuations for which the protagonist admits optimal positional strategies, regardless of the opponent. In this work, we characterize valuations which admit such strategies over infinite game graphs. Our characterization uses the vocabulary of universal graphs, which has also proved useful in understanding recent breakthrough results regarding the complexity of parity games. More precisely, we show that a valuation admitting universal graphs which are monotone and well-ordered is positional over all game graphs, and -- more surprisingly -- that the converse is also true for valuations admitting neutral colors. We prove the applicability and elegance of the framework by unifying a number of known positionality results, proving new ones, and establishing closure under lexicographical products. Finally, we discuss a class of prefix-independent positional objectives which is closed under countable unions.
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spelling doaj.art-106354f91ecb45f0b34927145f85034a2024-02-02T12:32:47ZengTheoretiCS Foundation e.V.TheoretiCS2751-48382023-01-01Volume 210.46298/theoretics.23.39724Characterizing Positionality in Games of Infinite Duration over Infinite GraphsPierre OhlmannWe study turn-based quantitative games of infinite duration opposing two antagonistic players and played over graphs. This model is widely accepted as providing the adequate framework for formalizing the synthesis question for reactive systems. This important application motivates the question of strategy complexity: which valuations (or payoff functions) admit optimal positional strategies (without memory)? Valuations for which both players have optimal positional strategies have been characterized by Gimbert and Zielonka for finite graphs and by Colcombet and Niwi\'nski for infinite graphs. However, for reactive synthesis, existence of optimal positional strategies for the opponent (which models an antagonistic environment) is irrelevant. Despite this fact, not much is known about valuations for which the protagonist admits optimal positional strategies, regardless of the opponent. In this work, we characterize valuations which admit such strategies over infinite game graphs. Our characterization uses the vocabulary of universal graphs, which has also proved useful in understanding recent breakthrough results regarding the complexity of parity games. More precisely, we show that a valuation admitting universal graphs which are monotone and well-ordered is positional over all game graphs, and -- more surprisingly -- that the converse is also true for valuations admitting neutral colors. We prove the applicability and elegance of the framework by unifying a number of known positionality results, proving new ones, and establishing closure under lexicographical products. Finally, we discuss a class of prefix-independent positional objectives which is closed under countable unions.https://theoretics.episciences.org/9724/pdfcomputer science - computer science and game theorycomputer science - logic in computer science
spellingShingle Pierre Ohlmann
Characterizing Positionality in Games of Infinite Duration over Infinite Graphs
TheoretiCS
computer science - computer science and game theory
computer science - logic in computer science
title Characterizing Positionality in Games of Infinite Duration over Infinite Graphs
title_full Characterizing Positionality in Games of Infinite Duration over Infinite Graphs
title_fullStr Characterizing Positionality in Games of Infinite Duration over Infinite Graphs
title_full_unstemmed Characterizing Positionality in Games of Infinite Duration over Infinite Graphs
title_short Characterizing Positionality in Games of Infinite Duration over Infinite Graphs
title_sort characterizing positionality in games of infinite duration over infinite graphs
topic computer science - computer science and game theory
computer science - logic in computer science
url https://theoretics.episciences.org/9724/pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT pierreohlmann characterizingpositionalityingamesofinfinitedurationoverinfinitegraphs