Cooperative Problem Research Articles

Individualism: the end of social cohesion? The effects of inequality and group identity on cooperation

IntroductionGlobal challenges like pandemics and climate change are fundamentally cooperation problems, where individual interests often conflict with the collective good. Rising economic inequality and individualism are believed to erode social cohesion and cooperation, exacerbating these tensions. Public goods games (PGGs) are widely used to study cooperation in scenarios of unequal resource distribution, but findings on the effects of inequality remain inconsistent, partly due to varied applications of heterogeneity across studies.MethodsThis study introduces a novel research design that directly compares collectivistic and individualistic groups to examine the combined effects of individualism and inequality on cooperation. Groups were exposed to different resource distribution conditions, including both equal and unequal distributions, and their cooperation rates were measured.ResultsThe findings reveal no significant differences in cooperation rates between collectivistic and individualistic groups. However, groups with higher inequality exhibited significantly higher cooperation rates than those with equal resource distributions. Notably, heterogeneous groups showed considerable variation in their success at establishing cooperation. Further analysis indicates that the willingness to reduce initial inequality served as a strong signal, enhancing group identity and fostering cooperation.DiscussionThe results suggest that in contexts where group identity is strong, inequality can act as a coordination mechanism, enabling groups to distribute the burden of collective costs more effectively and enhancing overall cooperation. These findings challenge the assumption that inequality inherently undermines cooperation and highlight the potential for strategically leveraging inequality in contexts characterized by collectivistic norms.

Three-Dimensional Cooperative Surrounding and Capturing Guidance for Intercepting Superior Target with Multi-Constraints

A three-dimensional cooperative surrounding and capturing guidance (3D-CSCG) is proposed for the cooperative interception against a superior target in the fighter aircraft's self-protection. The interceptors with lower velocity and inferior acceleration compared to the target need to satisfy constraints including impact angle, cooperation time and limited overload. The 3D-CSCG is designed to enable the interceptor group to surround and capture the target cooperatively by leveraging the numerical superiority of the interceptor group. To solve this problem, this paper firstly designs a dynamic capturing strategy based on the projection coverage method of the three-dimensional reachable domain. This strategy predicts the target maneuvering domain through the covariance method to ensure the effectiveness of cooperative interception and provide interception conditions. Moreover, this strategy is also the basis for the coupled cooperative guidance problem, realizing a truly integrated design of cooperative guidance. Secondly, to address the cooperative guidance problem, numerical guidance method based on model predictive static programming (MPSP) are employed. The efficacy, superiority, sensitivity, and robustness of the 3D-CSCG guidance law are systematically assessed through a series of numerical simulations including the comparisons with the cooperative biased proportional navigation guidance Law (CBPNG).

A new electoral bottom-up model of institutional governance

The sustainable governance of Global Risky Commons (GRC)—global commons in the presence of a sizable risk of overall failure—is ubiquitous and requires a global solution. A prominent example is the mitigation of the adverse effects of global warming. In this context, the Collective Risk Dilemma (CRD) provides a convenient baseline model which captures many important features associated with GRC type problems by formulating them as problems of cooperation. Here we make use of the CRD to develop, for the first time, a bottom-up institutional governance framework of GRC. We find that the endogenous creation of local institutions that require a minimum consensus amongst group members—who, in turn, decide the nature of the institution (reward/punishment) via an electoral process—leads to higher overall cooperation than previously proposed designs, especially at low risk, proving that carrots and sticks implemented through local voting processes are more powerful than other designs. The stochastic evolutionary game theoretical model framework developed here further allows us to directly compare our results with those stemming from previous models of institutional governance. The model and the methods employed here are relevant and general enough to be applied to a variety of contemporary interdisciplinary problems.

Optimal design of multivariate accelerated degradation test based on game theory

ABSTRACT Optimal design of the accelerated degradation test plays an important role in improving the reliability assessment accuracy of products. The commonly used optimal design methods of accelerated degradation tests are mainly based on a single performance degradation characteristic. When considering multiple-performance degradation characteristics, there is a problem that the resulting test plans cannot be unified. To solve the problem, a multivariate accelerated degradation test optimization method is presented based on game theory in this work. The accelerated degradation models are established with the Wiener process as the degradation model assumption, and the correlation is described by the Copula function. The optimization model is established with the objective function of maximizing the Fisher information matrix determinant for each degradation model. Based on game theory, the optimization model solution problem is transformed into a cooperative game problem, and the optimal test plan is obtained by maximizing the benefit function. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by an example of O-rings.

Linear Matrix Inequality‐based design of distributed proportional‐integral‐derivative for the output consensus tracking in heterogeneous high‐order multi‐agent systems

AbstractThis article addresses the cooperative output consensus tracking problem for high‐order heterogeneous multi‐agent systems via a distributed proportional‐integral‐derivative (PID)‐like control strategy and proposes two novel control methodologies for the tuning of the control gains, which do not require any assumption and/or limitation on agent system modeling. By extending the static output feedback (SOF) paradigm to distributed domain, the asymptotic stability problem for the overall MAS composed of agents is revisited into decoupled stabilization problems to be solved. Then, by exploiting the Lyapunov and matrix theory, the typical SOF bilinear matrix inequality (BMI)‐based stability conditions are recast into feasible linear matrix inequality (LMI)‐based ones, whose solutions allow finding the proper values of the PID control gains ensuring the achievement of the cooperative task. In doing so, the proposed procedures reduce the computational effort required for the control design, hence providing a greater attraction for a wider range of practical engineering applications. The scalability and the adaptability of the proposed control methodology in solving an alternative cooperative control problem in the presence of multiple leaders, that is, the output containment task, are also analytically investigated. Numerical simulations confirm the effectiveness of the theoretical derivations.

Analysis of the Effective Path of Home-School Cooperation in Special Education Based on the Background of “Internet+”

Under the background of “Internet Plus”, special education home-school cooperation is facing new challenges and opportunities. As an indispensable part of the education system, the importance of special education is self-evident. However, there are still many problems in home-school cooperation in terms of information transmission, interaction mode, personalized education needs and technology application. By analyzing these problems and exploring the application path of Internet technology in home-school cooperation, this paper proposes measures such as constructing an information sharing platform, innovating home-school interaction modes, developing personalized education programs, and strengthening technology application and training, aiming to provide an efficient and sustainable development mode for home-school cooperation in special education. These measures not only help to improve the overall quality of special education, but also effectively promote close cooperation between home and school, creating a better environment for the growth of children with special needs.

Current problems of trade cooperation between Russia and Egypt

Subject. This article discusses the search for new markets for Russian-made products and the diversification of exports and imports. Objectives. The article aims to assess the prospects for economic cooperation between Russia and Egypt in the context of geopolitical tensions. Methods. For the study, we used the methods of analysis. Results. Based on the analysis of trade cooperation between Russia and Egypt over the past few years, the article assesses the structure of Russian-Egyptian trade and the possibilities of reorientation and increase in its volume as low. Conclusions. Tariff and non-tariff barriers in the Egyptian market are the main problem for increasing Russian exports. The prospects for the development of trade relations between Russia and Egypt are associated with actions to eliminate or minimize these barriers. The conclusion of a free trade agreement is a priority measure.

Data‐Driven Adaptive Cooperative Output Regulation for Completely Unknown Linear Multi‐Agent Systems Based on Finite Length Data

ABSTRACTWith respect to complex control systems, traditional model‐dependent methods are increasingly challenged, particularly when system models are unknown or intractable. Moreover, most past research has focused on systems that are partially or fully known. In this technical paper, a data‐driven paradigm is employed to investigate the cooperative output regulation problem (CORP) for completely unknown linear heterogeneous discrete multi‐agent systems (MASs). Input and state information are utilized to design effective control strategies and a novel data‐based algorithm is proposed with finite length data. An adaptive observer is designed to estimate the exosystem state, with only the leader's children having access to the unknown leader's system matrix. To address the challenge of unknown dynamics, the CORP is transformed into a linear quadratic regulation (LQR) problem by solving the regulation equation. Compared with the reinforcement learning method, the closed‐form optimal control gain is obtained directly from the relevant data without the need for an initial stabilization controller or iterative calculation. Simulation results validate the proposed scheme's effectiveness.

Cooperative Optimization Design Method of Multitrajectory Profile in “Well Factory” for Oil and Gas Development

Summary A “well factory” refers to the arrangement of multiple or even a large number of similar wells on the same platform and the drilling and completion of these wells with standardized equipment and a similar operational approach. The well factory mode can effectively handle the challenges posed by complex terrains in oceans and mountainous areas and achieve economical and efficient development of oil and gas resources. Conventional studies mainly focus on the optimization of a single trajectory or the sequential optimization of multiple trajectories. However, there is a lack of cooperative optimization of multiple trajectories, making it difficult to obtain better design results for well trajectories of the well factory mode. Owing to the complicated interdependencies among the design variables of each trajectory (such as the kickoff point, target section length, well inclination, azimuth, and buildup rate), traditional methods struggle to directly address the cooperative optimization problem. This problem involves collaboration and interaction between different trajectories to achieve common objectives and enhance the overall optimization effectiveness. This study established a multitrajectory profile cooperative optimization design model with the objective of minimizing the overall drilling footage, trajectory complexity, trajectory similarity, and collision risk. Next, a cooperative coevolution (CC) approach was introduced and combined with a directed artificial bee colony (DABC) algorithm to develop a collaborative update strategy for multitrajectory optimization. Finally, the CC-DABC algorithm was tested, and a case study was conducted using the new design method. The results indicated that the new method could effectively handle multitrajectory profile cooperative optimization design for various well layouts, including single-layer, multilayer, and extremely small well-spacing scenarios. The CC-DABC algorithm significantly outperformed other combined algorithms in terms of optimization effectiveness, robustness, and overall search efficiency and exhibited excellent performance under small well spacing conditions. In the case study, the trajectories optimized with the new method had less drilling footage and smaller trajectory complexity than the original designs. Additionally, the anticollision risk and staggered arrangement of the kickoff points between adjacent wells effectively met the engineering requirements, demonstrating the application potential of this new method.

Authorial Narratives in the Work of Middle Eastern Directors

The purpose of the research is to identify relevant narratives in the work of directors-authors of Middle Eastern cinema and its functioning in the space of international film festivals. Research methodology. The analytical method was used to develop the topic, which is necessary for studying the art history and cultural aspects of the problem. The researcher used the techniques of systematisation and generalisation, which came in handy for arguing the originality of the phenomenon of film directing in Middle Eastern countries, its place in modern culture-creating processes, as well as the determination of objective regularities that characterise directing practices in the contemporary intercultural space. A cross-cultural method was also applied, which contributed to identifying the peculiarities of the presentation of films by Middle Eastern directors at international film festivals. The cultural approach determined the generalised socio-cultural orientation of the research on the cinematography of Middle Eastern countries. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact that the problem of intercultural cooperation in the production and distribution of films in Middle Eastern countries in the context of the functioning of international support programs became the subject of a particular study for the first time; the work of filmmakers whose films were created as international projects and presented at international film festivals is singled out and characterised; the practicality of using the systematic method in the study of new narratives of films of the Middle Eastern region is proven. Conclusions. Familiarisation with the materials presented in the article expands the arsenal of knowledge about the specifics of the content and distribution of films by Middle Eastern directors within the framework of intercultural projects. It enables their use in educational courses on the theory and history of culture, cinema and directing.

THE FORMATS AND THE AGENDA OF ORGANIZING PAN-ARMENIAN CONFERENCES IN 1980-2022

Since 1980, several conferences have been held with the participation of representatives of Armenia and the Diaspora, the main purpose of which was to discuss the problems of bilateral cooperation, define the priorities, and clarify future tasks. The question of the necessity of such assemblies was discussed both during the Soviet period and after the restoration of Armenia’s political independence, but the search for the most effective format is still ongoing. Based on the political approaches of this or that government and the imperative to effectively solve the defined problems, these assemblies were held in different formats, from representative meetings to conferences and summits. In this article, the agendas and convening formats of the Armenia-Diaspora conferences are examined, considering them under the historical and political reality of the time.

A Resilient Event‐Triggered Control Scheme for Nonlinear Multi‐Agent Systems Under Communication Delays and Denial‐Of‐Service Attacks

ABSTRACTThis paper investigates the resilient event‐triggered control (ETC) for nonlinear multi‐agent systems in the presence of communication delays and denial‐of‐service (DoS) attacks. The communication delays and asynchronous DoS attack are considered for each communication link. Based on sampling‐receiving events and DoS attack events, flow and jump sets are formulated to describe the system's transmission time status. An independent event‐triggering mechanism (ETM) is designed for each communication link. Furthermore, a resilient control scheme is constructed in which sufficient conditions for achieving system input‐output stability are provided, including the constraints of frequency and DoS attack duration, the conditions of Lyapunov functions, and the maximally allowable transmission interval. Finally, the attitude cooperative control problem of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (multi‐UAVs) is adopted as a simulation example. The simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.

Problems of Military-Economic Cooperation Between the Central African Republic and the Russian Federation and Ways to Solve Them

The article analyzes the development of bilateral relations between the Central African Republic and the Russian Federation in the political, economic and military spheres. In modern conditions, the leadership of the Central African Republic considers the development of military and economic cooperation with the Russian Federation to be one of the main sources of resolving the internal conflict on the territory of the republic, as well as a necessary condition for ensuring the military security of the state, which, in a difficult time for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country, extended a helping hand to the Central African people. At the same time, the colonial past of the Central African Republic in the form of France, which does not want to lose control over its resources, as well as the unprecedented political, economic and informational pressure of the collective West on the Russian Federation create significant problems in achieving the success of bilateral cooperation, which will require a lot of effort to solve. The author of the article suggests ways to solve existing problems.

The Central African Republic and the Russian Federation: Problems of Military-Economic Cooperation

The article analyzes the development of bilateral relations between the Central African Republic and the Russian Federation in the political, economic and military spheres. In modern conditions, the leadership of the Central African Republic considers the development of military and economic cooperation with the Russian Federation to be one of the main sources of resolving the internal conflict on the territory of the republic, as well as a necessary condition for ensuring the military security of the state, which, in a difficult time for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country, extended a helping hand to the Central African people. At the same time, the colonial past of the Central African Republic in the form of France, which does not want to lose control over its resources, as well as the unprecedented political, economic and informational pressure of the collective West on the Russian Federation, create significant problems in achieving the success of bilateral cooperation, which will require a lot of effort to solve.

Prospects of Cooperation in the Commonwealth of Independent States

The modern world is going through global changes that to some extent affect all nations. The goals, institutions and principles that were considered to be the basis of international relations have turned out to be unstable and often discredited. In this context, a new system of international relations is being formed, which should reflect the national interests of all states. The current crisis has a major impact on the Commonwealth of Independent States, and the effect is both negative and positive. Western sanctions directly target Russia and Belarus and indirectly they also affect other members. At the same time, such challenges contribute to greater cohesion within the CIS and can give impetus to closer cooperation. Thus, international tension can be the launch point to help intensify integration processes in the CIS and to form a new quality of relations in it. This article aims at determining the current state of relations between the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States, assessing its strengths and weaknesses as an international organisation, and predicting possible prospects for the development of relations between the states. The article focuses on the current trends in the activities of the Commonwealth of Independent States. It examines the problems of cooperation within the CIS, as well as the causes of these problems, including both internal contradictions and increasing foreign influence. The author explores the advantages and disadvantages of the CIS and proposes three different scenarios of the further evolution of interaction between the Commonwealth’s member states.

Cooperative dual-actor proximal policy optimization algorithm for multi-robot complex control task

This paper introduces a novel multi-agent Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) framework named the Cooperative Dual-Actor Proximal Policy Optimization (CDA-PPO) algorithm, designed to address complex humanoid robot cooperative learning control tasks. Effective cooperation among multiple humanoid robots, particularly in scenarios involving complex walking gait control and external disturbances in dynamic environments, is a critical challenge. This is especially pertinent for tasks requiring precise coordination and control, such as joint object transportation. In various real-life scenarios, humanoid robots might need to cooperate to carry large objects in many scenarios. This capability is crucial for logistics, manufacturing, intelligent transportation, and search-and-rescue missions applications. Humanoid robots have gained significant popularity, and their use in these cooperative tasks is becoming more common. To address this challenge, we propose CDA-PPO, which introduces a learning-based communication platform between agents and employs two distinct policy networks for each agent. This dual-policy approach enhances the robots’ ability to adapt to complex interactions and maintain stability while performing intricate tasks. We demonstrate the efficacy of CDA-PPO in a cooperative object-transportation scenario, where two humanoid robots collaborate to carry a table. The experimental results show that CDA-PPO significantly outperforms traditional methods, such as Independent PPO (IPPO), Multi-Agent PPO (MAPPO), and Multi-Agent Twin Delayed Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (MATD3), in terms of training efficiency, stability, reward acquisition, and humanoid robot cooperative balance control with effective coordination between robots. The findings underscore the potential of CDA-PPO to advance the field of cooperative multi-agent control problems, proposing the way for future research in complex robotics applications.

Cooperative regulation based on virtual vector triangles asymptotically compressed in multidimensional space for time-varying nonlinear multi-agent systems.

This study constructs virtual vector triangles in multidimensional space to address cooperative control issue in time-varying nonlinear multi-agent systems. The distributed adaptive virtual point and its dynamic equations are designed, with this virtual point, the leader, and the follower being respectively defined as the vertices of the virtual vector triangle. The virtual vector edges, decomposed by vectors into coordinate axis components, are organized to form a closed virtual vector triangle by connecting the three vertices with directed vector arrows that are oriented from the tail to the head. Specifically, these virtual vector edges are fictitious vector line segments connecting two vertices and used to compute the relative Euclidean distances between each vertex in multidimensional space. Based on the established virtual vector triangles, which are placed in multidimensional space, and the novel spatial coordinate transformation method, the cooperative regulation problem of the time-varying nonlinear multi-agent system is transformed into a mathematical problem of compressing the virtual vector triangles with exponential magnitude. The created distributed compression control protocol asymptotically shrinks the magnitude of the virtual vector triangles by exponential oscillatory decay towards the same dynamic point aligned with the motion trajectory of the leader or the leader, where the states of the time-varying nonlinear multi-agent systems achieve asymptotic convergence consensus. The reliable stability of the asymptotic compression convergence process of the virtual vector triangles was verified by establishing a Lyapunov function and relying on the Lyapunov stability theory. Finally, the example of time-varying nonlinear multi-agent systems are presented for simulation experiments to further validate the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed control protocol in addressing the cooperative regulation issue.

Distributed nonconvex optimization subject to globally coupled constraints via collaborative neurodynamic optimization.

In this paper, a recurrent neural network is proposed for distributed nonconvex optimization subject to globally coupled (in)equality constraints and local bound constraints. Two distributed optimization models, including a resource allocation problem and a consensus-constrained optimization problem, are established, where the objective functions are not necessarily convex, or the constraints do not guarantee a convex feasible set. To handle the nonconvexity, an augmented Lagrangian function is designed, based on which a recurrent neural network is developed for solving the optimization models in a distributed manner, and the convergence to a local optimal solution is proven. For the search of global optimal solutions, a collaborative neurodynamic optimization method is established by utilizing multiple proposed recurrent neural networks and a meta-heuristic rule. A numerical example, a simulation involving an electricity market, and a distributed cooperative control problem are provided to verify and demonstrate the characteristics of the main results.

The Limits of Our Explanation: A Case Study in Myxococcus xanthus Cooperation

AbstractIn this article, I demonstrate two ways in which our major theories of the evolution of cooperation may fail to capture particular social phenomena. The first shortcoming of our current major theories stems from the possibility of mischaracterizing the cooperative problem in game theory. The second shortcoming of our current major theories is the insensitivity of these explanatory models to ecological and genomic context. As a case study to illustrate these points, I will use the cooperative interaction of a species of myxobacteria called Myxococcus xanthus. M. xanthus cooperate in many areas of their life cycle—in quorum sensing, social motility, fruiting body formation, and predation. I focus in particular on predation as we have not yet discovered an adequate explanation of how they sustain cooperative predation in the face of developmental cheats. In explaining why we have not, I draw generalizable conclusions that shed light on our use of simplified models to explain real-world behaviors in a variety of organisms.

Involvement of minors in committing crimes: innovations in foreign criminal legislation

This work examines the changes in the criminal legislation of some foreign countries over the period from 2017 to 2024. The innovations cover independent elements of crimes that establish responsibility for involvement minors in the committing crimes. Familiarization with changes in foreign legislation allows us to evaluate the nature of the «involvement» construct and its content from a different perspective. The provisions of foreign legislation are also considered in relation to Article 150 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. In addition, the author describes the prerequisites for the emergence of legislative initiatives in the field under study. The legislation of some foreign countries does not allow for the prosecution of adults who involve minors in committing crimes. The problem is related to the limited legal provisions on human trafficking, according to which these actions are qualified. The author suggests calling this approach the «Palermo model», in accordance with the protocol of the same name of an international legal nature in the context of combating human trafficking. The inconsistency of this approach and the prospects for the formation of independent models of protection of minors from involvement in the commission of crimes are stated. In conclusion, the author cites the advantages and disadvantages of the considered examples of legal regulation, promising experience and the problem of insufficient interstate cooperation on child protection in the field under study.