A Review of Game Theory-Based Trust Modeling Approaches in Infrastructure-Free Social Networks
Keywords:
Game theory, trust modeling, infrastructure-free networksAbstract
This study aims to review and classify game theory-based trust modeling approaches in infrastructure-free social networks, highlighting their mechanisms, applications, and limitations. A narrative review methodology with a descriptive analysis approach was employed to examine peer-reviewed literature published between 2015 and 2025. The review focused on trust modeling strategies within infrastructure-free networks such as MANETs, VANETs, DTNs, and UAV/IoT systems. Game-theoretic models were categorized into non-cooperative, cooperative, evolutionary, and Bayesian/repeated frameworks. Relevant articles were identified through targeted searches in leading academic databases using defined inclusion criteria. The models were compared based on theoretical assumptions, game mechanisms, trust evaluation metrics, scalability, computational overhead, and security resilience. Non-cooperative models prioritize individual rationality and minimal overhead but struggle against strategic deception. Cooperative models emphasize coalition formation and fairness in resource sharing, offering improved trust propagation at the cost of increased communication. Evolutionary approaches enable adaptation and learning through repeated interactions but require longer convergence times. Repeated and Bayesian games facilitate historical learning and probabilistic trust estimation, showing strong potential in dynamic and uncertain environments. Across all types, trade-offs were observed between robustness, scalability, and complexity. Key challenges identified include computational cost, dynamic topology, vulnerability to collusion, and limited real-world deployment. The integration of AI, privacy-preserving mechanisms, and cross-layer modeling remains underexplored but promising. Game theory offers a versatile and strategic foundation for trust modeling in decentralized, infrastructure-free networks. While existing models address various trust challenges effectively, further research is needed to enhance scalability, incorporate intelligent adaptation, and ensure practical deployment in real-world applications. The future lies in hybrid, context-aware, and privacy-focused trust systems that combine the strengths of game-theoretic reasoning with emerging technologies.
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