On a network creation game

Alex Fabrikant, Ankur Luthra, Elitza N. Maneva, Christos H. Papadimitriou, Scott Shenker

Abstract: We introduce a novel game that models the creation of Internet-like networks by selfish node-agents without central design or coordination. Nodes pay for the links that they establish, and benefit from short paths to all destinations. We study the Nash equilibria of this game, and prove results suggesting that the "price of anarchy" [4] in this context (the relative cost of the lack of coordination) may be modest. Several interesting: extensions are suggested.