Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique

When assessing the role and place of statistics in modern digital society, especially from the standpoint of the requirements for the training of analysts working in a wide variety of spheres of social activity [1], it is difficult to ignore a fairly wide range of discussion issues, among which possible approaches to understanding and quantifying statistical thinking are clearly distinguished. This article invites readers to familiarize themselves and discuss the concepts of “statistical” thinking, its meaning in the modern world.

ABSTRACT The aim of this article is to complete Dan Zahavi's proposal by shedding light on a dimension of the relationship between ‘I’, ‘You’, and ‘We’ that is neglected by his article: the relationship between ‘Them and I’. After showing why this analysis is necessary, the article proposes to study how this relationship is established through the gaze, judgment, and exclusion from a group of persons. The article then shows that this process of exclusion does not lead to the creation of a collective but isolates the excluded person. Finally, it presents the necessary conditions to overcome this isolation by creating a group, which requires an understanding of the role of emotions and common intentions in action. To belong to a group requires to act together.

notamment par photocopie, n'est autorisée que dans les limites des conditions générales d'utilisation du site ou, le cas échéant, des conditions générales de la licence souscrite par votre établissement.Toute autre reproduction ou représentation, en tout ou partie, sous quelque forme et de quelque manière que ce soit, est interdite sauf accord préalable et écrit de l'éditeur, en dehors des cas prévus par la législation en vigueur en France.Il est précisé que son stockage dans une base de données est également interdit.

We study stochastic zero-sum games on graphs, which are prevalent tools to model decision-making in presence of an antagonistic opponent in a random environment. In this setting, an important question is the one of strategy complexity: what kinds of strategies are sufficient or required to play optimally (e.g., randomization or memory requirements)? Our contributions further the understanding of arena-independent finite-memory (AIFM) determinacy, i.e., the study of objectives for which memory is needed, but in a way that only depends on limited parameters of the game graphs. First, we show that objectives for which pure AIFM strategies suffice to play optimally also admit pure AIFM subgame perfect strategies. Second, we show that we can reduce the study of objectives for which pure AIFM strategies suffice in two-player stochastic games to the easier study of one-player stochastic games (i.e., Markov decision processes). Third, we characterize the sufficiency of AIFM strategies through two intuitive properties of objectives. This work extends a line of research started on deterministic games to stochastic ones.

Abstract This paper discusses geopolitical shifts in the international order with regard to divergent perceptions and interests on the war in Ukraine between western states and the Gulf Cooperation Council states (gcc), specifically the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). These two leading gcc states now prioritise their own national interests by valuing multipolar partnerships, rather than solely relying on strong strategic ties with the West and US. The article aims to explore to what extent the war in Ukraine reveals a new phase in the power balance between the west and the Arab Gulf states. The initial outcomes of the war have already weakened Russia’s global status and forced Moscow to redirect its strategy towards the east, particularly China. This has also led to increased military cooperation between Russian and Iranian, as well as a rapprochement due to the weight of western economic sanctions imposed on both states. Concurrently, China’s significant role in world policy has become more evident through its direct political involvement in the restoration of Saudi-Iranian diplomatic relations, as seen in the agreement signed in Beijing on 10 March 2023. With the war in Ukraine significantly impacting the global energy market and regional power dynamics, the multipolar momentum gives the advantage to Gulf states that realise that this is an opportune time to capitalise on taking autonomous regional initiatives and fostering diversified partnerships from the west to the east.