PRINCIPLES OF DOMINANCE:

1. Rules for Rows: If all the elements in a row are less than or equal to the corresponding
elements in another row, then this row is said to be dominated by the another row, and can be
eliminated from the game matrix to reduce the order of the matrix.

2. Rules for Columns: If all the elements in a column are greater than or equal to the
corresponding elements in another column, then this column is said to be dominated by
another column and can be eliminated from the game matrix to reduce the order of matrix.

Question 1:

For the following game matrix, determine saddle point using Principles of Dominance. Also
find the optimal strategies for both the players and value of the game.

Player Y
Y-I Y-II Y-III
X-I 14 22 14
Player X – II 16 -20 -18
X X – III 20 36 24

Solution:

Applying Principles of Dominance Row X – III dominates Rows X-I and X-II, all elements
are less than corresponding elements of X-III.

After deleting X-I and X-II, we get

Y-I Y-II Y-III

X-III 20 36 24

Columns Y-II and Y-III are dominated by column Y-I. Hence Y-II and Y-III can be deleted.

Final Matrix:

Y-I
X-III 20
The above is saddle point.

Optimal strategy for X = X-III

Optimal strategy for Y = Y-I

Value of the Game (V) = 20.

Question 2:

For the following game matrix, check if there is a saddle point using Principles of
Dominance.

Player B
B-I B-II B-III
A-I 20 18 -12
Player A – II 8 -10 10
A A– III 14 16 16

Question 3: (Assignment)

For the following two persons, zero sum game, find saddle point using principles of
dominance. Also find optimal strategies for each player and value of the game.

Player B
B-I B-II B-III B-IV B-V
A-I 20 30 50 60 80
A-II 100 120 110 140 150
Player A A-III 30 40 70 50 90
A – IV 90 40 80 50 30
A– V 60 70 30 80 10

Question 4:

Find the optimal strategies for P and Q and the value of the game.

Colour chosen by Q
W B R
Colour chosen by P W 0 -2 7
B 2 5 6
R 3 -3 8
Column R is dominated by Column W

Colour chosen by Q
W B
Colour chosen by P W 0 -2
B 2 5
R 3 -3
Row W is dominated by Row B

Colour chosen by Q
W B
Colour chosen by P B 2 5
R 3 -3
Since there is no saddle point, the optimal strategies will be mixed strategies .
 Solving this game by arithmetic method (odds method), we have

Colour chosen by Q
W B
6 6/9
Colour chosen by P B 2 5
3 3/9
R 3 -3
8 1
8/9 1/9

Therefore, optimal strategy for P: (0, 2/3, 1/3),

Optimal strategy for Q : (8/9, 1/9, 0)

Value of the game = 2*8 + 5*1 = 16+5 = 21/9.

8+1 9

Question 5:

Reduce the following game by dominance and find the game value.

Player B
B-I B-II B-III B-IV
A-I 3 2 4 0
A-II 3 4 2 4
Player A A-III 4 2 4 0
A – IV 0 4 0 8

Row I is dominated by Row III

Player B
B-I B-II B-III B-IV
A-II 3 4 2 4
Player A A-III 4 2 4 0
A – IV 0 4 0 8

Column I is dominated by column III

Player B
B-II B-III B-IV
A-II 4 2 4
Player A A-III 2 4 0
A – IV 4 0 8

In the above matrix no single row (or column) dominates another row
(column). However column II is dominated by the average of columns III and
IV, which is
 A-II : 2+4 = 3
2
A-III : 4+0 = 2
2
A-IV : 0+8 = 4
2

Hence column II is removed from the above matrix.

Player B
B-III B-IV
A-II 2 4
Player A A-III 4 0
A – IV 0 8

Again Row II is dominated by average of A-III and A-IV, which gives

( 4+0, 0+8 ) = (2,4). Therefore Row 2 is removed.
2 2

Player B
B-III B-IV
Player A A-III 4 0 8 2/3
A – IV 0 8
8 4 4 1/3
2/3 1/3

Optimal strategy for player A: (0,0,2/3,1/3)

Optimal strategy for player B : (0,0, 2/3, 1/3)
Value of the game (for A) = 8*4 + 4*0 = 32/12 = 8/3.
8+4

Question 6:

Solve the following game by using the principle of dominance

Player B
I II III IV V VI
1 4 2 0 2 1 1
2 4 3 1 3 2 2
Player A 3 4 3 7 -5 1 2
4 4 3 4 -1 2 2
5 4 3 3 -2 2 2