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Let $\mathfrak{G}$ be the class of all finite directed and undirected graphs. Let $A,B\subseteq \mathfrak{G} $, $A$ and $B$ are closed under graph isomorphisms, and $A \cap B = \varnothing$. Consider the following two player game. On the graph $G \in \mathfrak{G} $ with the starting vertex $u$, play as follows: the first player presents $x_1 \subseteq V(G)$ such that $\forall v\in x_1\; uv\in E(G)$. Then the players in turn present the sets of vertices, so that for any different $x_i$ and $x_j$ satisfy $x_i \cap x_j = \varnothing$, and $\forall v\in x_k \; \exists w\in x_{k-1} : wv\in E(G)$. Conditions for victory and defeat (checked on each turn in the order of the following list):

  1. If on turn $n$ there exists $k$ such that the induced subgraph $\bigcup_\limits{i=k}^n x_i$ contains a subgraph $H$ isomorphic to a graph from $A$, then the player who made the move $n$ wins.
  2. If on turn $n$ there exists $k$ such that the induced subgraph $\bigcup_\limits{i=k}^n x_i$ contains a subgraph $H$ isomorphic to a graph from $B$, then the player who made the move $n$ loses.
  3. If after some move the player cannot make a move, then he loses.

For example, if condition 2 is satisfied on the last move, then the player who made this move loses, because condition 2 is checked earlier than condition 3. Or if after the player's move a graph appears containing subgraphs from both $A$ and $B$, then he wins, because condition 1 is checked before condition 2. Let call this game $A-B$ game. Consider the following language: $$A-B-NG:=\{(G,u): \text{there is a winning strategy for the first player in $A-B$ game} \}$$ The complexity of this language depends on the classes we are considering. For example, if $pt$ is one-vertex graph, then $\{pt\}-B-NG \in \mathrm{DTIME(1)}$, because condition 1 is satisfied for all non-empty graphs. But $GG\leq_p \varnothing - \varnothing - NG$, therefore $ \varnothing - \varnothing - NG \in \mathrm{PSPACE-complete} $ (because $\varnothing - \varnothing - NG \leq_p GG $ ). Is it possible to choose $A$,$B$ so that $A-B-NG$ will have an even worse nesting, that is, it will lie in a class strictly above $ \mathrm{PSPACE} $, or containing $ \mathrm{PSPACE} $ ?

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    $\begingroup$ Are $A$ and $B$ just a finite collection of graphs? If not, how are they presented? I don't see how to reduce Generalized Geography to your game, as you allow players to pick sets of vertices rather than a single vertex. $\endgroup$
    – domotorp
    Commented Oct 15, 2021 at 15:31
  • $\begingroup$ I think we should accept that the Turing machine has an oracle for both sets. You are absolutely right, I have not indicated the correct reduction from $GG$ to $\varnothing - \varnothing- NG$ :(. I assume that it exists and I will think about how to build it. $\endgroup$
    – Ben Tom
    Commented Oct 15, 2021 at 18:40

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No, it is not possible to go above PSPACE, because all positional games with an exponentially large game tree are in PSPACE; you can just check all the options. And the game when $A=B=\emptyset$ is indeed PSPACE-hard, I've found a gadget to reduce the original Generalized Geography to it.

Update: Some of my students found a simpler gadget: Just replace each directed edge by a path of length 3. If anytime someone picks more than one vertices, then they practically yield their option to pick the next vertex to their opponent.

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  • $\begingroup$ Can you explain why the game tree is exponentially large? It is not very clear to me. $\endgroup$
    – Ben Tom
    Commented Oct 15, 2021 at 20:18
  • $\begingroup$ You just need to store which vertices have been claimed, plus the last claimed vertex set. This is $3^n$ bits. $\endgroup$
    – domotorp
    Commented Oct 15, 2021 at 20:34

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