The game behind oriented percolation

Abstract

We characterize the critical parameter of oriented percolation on ${\mathbb{Z}}^2$ through the value of a zero-sum game. Specifically, we define a zero-sum game on a percolation configuration of ${\mathbb{Z}}^2$, where two players move a token along the non-oriented edges of ${\mathbb{Z}}^2$, collecting a cost of 1 for each edge that is open, and 0 otherwise. The total cost is given by the limit superior of the average cost. We demonstrate that the value of this game is deterministic and equals 1 if and only if the percolation parameter exceeds $p_c$, the critical exponent of oriented percolation. Additionally, we establish that the value of the game is continuous at $p_c$. Finally, we show that for $p$ close to 0, the value of the game is equal to 0.