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We extend the classic regret minimization framework for approximating equilibria in normal-form games by greedily weighing iterates based on regrets observed at runtime. Theoretically, our method retains all previous convergence rate…

Computer Science and Game Theory · Computer Science 2022-04-12 Hugh Zhang , Adam Lerer , Noam Brown

In this paper, we present exploitability descent, a new algorithm to compute approximate equilibria in two-player zero-sum extensive-form games with imperfect information, by direct policy optimization against worst-case opponents. We prove…

Artificial Intelligence · Computer Science 2020-06-15 Edward Lockhart , Marc Lanctot , Julien Pérolat , Jean-Baptiste Lespiau , Dustin Morrill , Finbarr Timbers , Karl Tuyls

No-regret learning has emerged as a powerful tool for solving extensive-form games. This was facilitated by the counterfactual-regret minimization (CFR) framework, which relies on the instantiation of regret minimizers for simplexes at each…

Computer Science and Game Theory · Computer Science 2017-11-10 Gabriele Farina , Christian Kroer , Tuomas Sandholm

Regret matching (RM) -- and its modern variants -- is a foundational online algorithm that has been at the heart of many AI breakthrough results in solving benchmark zero-sum games, such as poker. Yet, surprisingly little is known so far in…

Computer Science and Game Theory · Computer Science 2025-11-18 Ioannis Anagnostides , Emanuel Tewolde , Brian Hu Zhang , Ioannis Panageas , Vincent Conitzer , Tuomas Sandholm

In this paper, we investigate the power of {\it regularization}, a common technique in reinforcement learning and optimization, in solving extensive-form games (EFGs). We propose a series of new algorithms based on regularizing the payoff…

Computer Science and Game Theory · Computer Science 2025-07-10 Mingyang Liu , Asuman Ozdaglar , Tiancheng Yu , Kaiqing Zhang

The paper is concerned with distributed learning in large-scale games. The well-known fictitious play (FP) algorithm is addressed, which, despite theoretical convergence results, might be impractical to implement in large-scale settings due…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2016-11-17 Brian Swenson , Soummya Kar , Joao Xavier

Extensive-form games (EFGs) provide a powerful framework for modeling sequential decision making, capturing strategic interaction under imperfect information, chance events, and temporal structure. Most positive algorithmic and theoretical…

Computer Science and Game Theory · Computer Science 2026-05-26 Rui Zheng , Ryann Sim , Antonios Varvitsiotis

Modern GPUs are equipped with large amounts of high-bandwidth memory, enabling them to support mini-batch sizes of up to tens of thousands of training samples. However, most existing optimizers struggle to perform effectively at such a…

Machine Learning · Computer Science 2026-02-10 Yishun Lu , Wesley Armour

The study of convex optimization has historically been concerned with worst-case convergence rates. The development of the Optimized Gradient Method (OGM), due to \citet{drori2012PerformanceOF,Kim2016optimal}, marked a major milestone in…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2026-04-21 Benjamin Grimmer , Kevin Shu , Alex L. Wang

In game theory, imperfect-recall decision problems model situations in which an agent forgets information it held before. They encompass games such as the ``absentminded driver'' and team games with limited communication. In this paper, we…

Computer Science and Game Theory · Computer Science 2026-02-18 Emanuel Tewolde , Brian Hu Zhang , Ioannis Anagnostides , Tuomas Sandholm , Vincent Conitzer

This paper explores the use of Maximum Causal Entropy Inverse Reinforcement Learning (IRL) within the context of discrete-time stationary Mean-Field Games (MFGs) characterized by finite state spaces and an infinite-horizon,…

Systems and Control · Electrical Eng. & Systems 2025-07-22 Berkay Anahtarci , Can Deha Kariksiz , Naci Saldi

First-order methods for solving convex optimization problems have been at the forefront of mathematical optimization in the last 20 years. The rapid development of this important class of algorithms is motivated by the success stories…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2021-01-07 Pavel Dvurechensky , Mathias Staudigl , Shimrit Shtern

Counterfactual Regret Minimization (CFR) is the most popular iterative algorithm for solving zero-sum imperfect-information games. Regret-Based Pruning (RBP) is an improvement that allows poorly-performing actions to be temporarily pruned,…

Computer Science and Game Theory · Computer Science 2016-09-13 Noam Brown , Tuomas Sandholm

Various first order approaches have been proposed in the literature to solve Linear Programming (LP) problems, recently leading to practically efficient solvers for large-scale LPs. From a theoretical perspective, linear convergence rates…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2024-03-29 Richard Cole , Christoph Hertrich , Yixin Tao , László A. Végh

Counterfactual regret minimization (CFR) algorithms are a foundational class of methods for solving imperfect-information games, with the time average of their iterates converging to a Nash equilibrium in two-player zero-sum games. Prior…

Computer Science and Game Theory · Computer Science 2026-02-10 Naifeng Zhang , Stephen McAleer , Tuomas Sandholm

We study online learning and equilibrium computation in games with polyhedral decision sets, a property shared by both normal-form games and extensive-form games (EFGs), when the learning agent is restricted to using a best-response oracle.…

Computer Science and Game Theory · Computer Science 2023-12-07 Darshan Chakrabarti , Gabriele Farina , Christian Kroer

Optimization of deep learning algorithms to approach Nash Equilibrium remains a significant problem in imperfect information games, e.g. StarCraft and poker. Neural Fictitious Self-Play (NFSP) has provided an effective way to learn…

Artificial Intelligence · Computer Science 2021-04-23 Yuxuan Chen , Li Zhang , Shijian Li , Gang Pan

We investigate the computation of equilibria in extensive-form games where ex ante correlation is possible, focusing on correlated equilibria requiring the least amount of communication between the players and the mediator. Motivated by the…

Computer Science and Game Theory · Computer Science 2019-01-21 Andrea Celli , Stefano Coniglio , Nicola Gatti

A considerable chasm has been looming for decades between theory and practice in zero-sum game solving through first-order methods. Although a convergence rate of $T^{-1}$ has long been established, the most effective paradigm in practice…

Computer Science and Game Theory · Computer Science 2026-02-18 Brian Hu Zhang , Ioannis Anagnostides , Tuomas Sandholm

Modeling strategic conflict from a game theoretical perspective involves dealing with epistemic uncertainty. Payoff uncertainty models are typically restricted to simple probability models due to computational restrictions. Recent…

Computer Science and Game Theory · Computer Science 2019-05-13 Juan Leni , John Levine , John Quigley