Game Theory

Determining Anil's Best Response if Bala Chooses Rice

Finding Best Responses

Dominant Strategy

Two competing firms, Firm A and Firm B, must simultaneously decide whether to 'Launch a new product' or 'Maintain the current product line'. The resulting profits for each firm depend on the actions of both, as shown in the following payoff structure, where the first number in the parentheses is Firm A's profit and the second is Firm B's profit:

• If both firms Launch: ($50 million,$50 million)
• If Firm A Launches and Firm B Maintains: ($120 million,$30 million)
• If Firm A Maintains and Firm B Launches: ($40 million,$100 million)
• If both firms Maintain: ($80 million,$80 million)

Given this information, if you know that Firm B has decided to 'Launch a new product', what is the best response for Firm A to maximize its own profit?

Two competing coffee shops, The Daily Grind and Brew & Co., are deciding on a daily promotion. The table below shows the daily profit (in dollars) for each shop based on the combination of strategies they choose. The first number in each pair is The Daily Grind's profit, and the second is Brew & Co.'s profit.

Payoff Matrix:

Match each of Brew & Co.'s potential strategies to The Daily Grind's best response to maximize its own profit.

Roommate Chore Dilemma

Farmer's Irrigation Choice

Two roommates, Alex and Ben, must decide independently whether to 'Clean' their shared apartment or 'Relax'. The satisfaction they each get from their decision depends on what the other person does, as shown in the payoff table below. The first number in each cell is Alex's satisfaction score, and the second is Ben's.

Statement: If Ben decides to 'Clean', Alex's best response is also to 'Clean'.

Determining a Best Response

Analyzing Strategic Choices in a Market Entry Game

Consider the payoff matrix below, which shows the profits (in thousands of dollars) for two competing firms based on their advertising budget decisions. The first number in each cell is the profit for Innovate Corp, and the second is for Tech Solutions.

If Tech Solutions chooses to 'Maintain' its budget, what is the minimum whole number profit (in thousands of dollars) that must go in the blank to make 'Increase' the best response for Innovate Corp?

A manager at 'Pizza Palace' is trying to decide on a pricing strategy. Their profit depends on the choice made by a competing business, 'Burger Barn'. The manager wants to determine their single most profitable action, assuming they know that Burger Barn has committed to a specific strategy. Arrange the following steps into the logical order the manager should follow to identify their 'best response'.

Evaluating a Strategic Recommendation