On Influence, Stable Behavior, and the Most Influential Individuals in Networks: A Game-Theoretic Approach

Abstract: We introduce a new approach to the study of influence in strategic settings where the action of an individual depends on that of others in a network-structured way. We propose \emph{influence games} as a \emph{game-theoretic} model of the behavior of a large but finite networked population. Influence games allow \emph{both} positive and negative \emph{influence factors}, permitting reversals in behavioral choices. We embrace \emph{pure-strategy Nash equilibrium (PSNE)}, an important solution concept in non-cooperative game theory, to formally define the \emph{stable outcomes} of an influence game and to predict potential outcomes without explicitly considering intricate dynamics. We address an important problem in network influence, the identification of the \emph{most influential individuals}, and approach it algorithmically using PSNE computation. \emph{Computationally}, we provide (a) complexity characterizations of various problems on influence games; (b) efficient algorithms for several special cases and heuristics for hard cases; and (c) approximation algorithms, with provable guarantees, for the problem of identifying the most influential individuals. \emph{Experimentally}, we evaluate our approach using both synthetic influence games as well as several real-world settings of general interest, each corresponding to a separate branch of the U.S. Government. \emph{Mathematically,} we connect influence games to important game-theoretic models: \emph{potential and polymatrix games}.