<p>Uncertainty in the absence of a prior distribution is sometimes called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knightian_uncertainty" rel="nofollow">Knightian Uncertainty</a> in economics. There are a couple of recent papers studying how to deal with knightian uncertainty in mechanism design. See for example:</p>

<p><a href="http://people.csail.mit.edu/silvio/Selected%20Scientific%20Papers/Mechanism%20Design/The%20Knightian%20Truthfulness%20of%20Classic%20Mechanisms.pdf" rel="nofollow">The Knightian Truthfulness of Classical Mechanisms</a></p>

<p><a href="http://arxiv.org/abs/1112.1147" rel="nofollow">Knightian Auctions</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-06-17T10:59:45.747Z
Thanks for your reply. Knightian Auctions seems to consider scenarios where the player $ i $ has uncertainty over her private information. I was looking for scenarios where the player $ i $ knows her private information precisely but has no prior beliefs about others' private information.
Vinay
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-06-14T13:54:58.160Z
2013-06-14T13:54:58.160Z
Aaron Roth
<p>Can anyone please tell me what is the term used for games with incomplete information and there are no prior beliefs about other players' private information. </p>

<p>For example, let $ v_i(a_i,\theta_i) $ be the utility function of the player $ i $ and $ a_i $ be decided for each player some how. $ \theta_i $ be the private information for player $ i $. Player $ i $ has no belief (no knowledge of probability distribution) about others' private information except that it is a real number. Few authors call such games to be pre-Bayesian games. But there seems to be no standard. It would be great if any one can let me know this. Thanks!</p>

<pr.probability><gt.game-theory>
Terminology for games with incomplete information and no prior beliefs
Vinay
# Terminology for games with incomplete information and no prior beliefs

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-06-14)

Can anyone please tell me what is the term used for games with incomplete information and there are no prior beliefs about other players' private information.

For example, let $ v\_i(a\_i,\theta\_i) $ be the utility function of the player $ i $ and $ a\_i $ be decided for each player some how. $ \theta\_i $ be the private information for player $ i $. Player $ i $ has no belief (no knowledge of probability distribution) about others' private information except that it is a real number. Few authors call such games to be pre-Bayesian games. But there seems to be no standard. It would be great if any one can let me know this. Thanks!

**Tags:** pr.probability, gt.game-theory

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2013-06-14. Score: 3

Uncertainty in the absence of a prior distribution is sometimes called [Knightian Uncertainty](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knightian_uncertainty) in economics. There are a couple of recent papers studying how to deal with knightian uncertainty in mechanism design. See for example:

[The Knightian Truthfulness of Classical Mechanisms](http://people.csail.mit.edu/silvio/Selected%20Scientific%20Papers/Mechanism%20Design/The%20Knightian%20Truthfulness%20of%20Classic%20Mechanisms.pdf)

[Knightian Auctions](http://arxiv.org/abs/1112.1147)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks for your reply. Knightian Auctions seems to consider scenarios where the player $ i $ has uncertainty over her private information. I was looking for scenarios where the player $ i $ knows her private information precisely but has no prior beliefs about others' private information.  

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