Nonsmooth optimization reformulations of player convex generalized Nash equilibrium problems

Abstract. Using a regularized Nikaido-Isoda function, we present a (nonsmooth) constrained optimization reformulation of a class of generalized Nash equilibrium problems (GNEPs). Further we give an unconstrained reformulation of a large subclass of all GNEPs which, in particular, includes the jointly convex GNEPs. Both approaches characterize all solutions of a GNEP as minima of optimization problems. The smoothness properties of these optimization problems are discussed in detail, and it is shown that the corresponding objective functions are continuous and piecewise continuously differentiable under mild assumptions. Some numerical results based on the unconstrained optimization reformulation being applied to player convex GNEPs are also included.