A Linear-Quadratic Stackelberg Differential Game with Mixed Deterministic and Stochastic Controls

Abstract: This paper is concerned with a linear-quadratic (LQ) Stackelberg differential game with mixed deterministic and stochastic controls. Here in the game, the follower is a random controller which means that the follower can choose adapted random processes, while the leader is a deterministic controller which means that the leader can choose only deterministic time functions. An open-loop Stackelberg equilibrium solution is considered. First, an optimal control process of the follower is obtained by maximum principle of controlled stochastic differential equation (SDE), which is a linear functional of optimal state variable and control variable of the leader, via a classical Riccati equation. Then an optimal control function of the leader is got via a direct calculation of derivative of cost functional, by the solution to a system of mean-field forward-backward stochastic differential equations (MF-FBSDEs). And it is represented as a functional of expectation of optimal state variable, together with solutions to a two-point boundary value problem of ordinary differential equation (ODE), by a system consisting of two coupled Riccati equations. The solvability of this new system of Riccati equation is discussed.