Bridging Theory and Practice in Quantum Game Theory: Optimized Implementation of the Battle of the Sexes with Error Mitigation on NISQ Hardware

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates an experimental realization of the quantum Battle of the Sexes game on IBM quantum hardware, introducing a noise mitigation method to preserve quantum advantages in strategic decision-making under realistic conditions.

Contribution

It presents one of the first full experimental implementations of quantum game theory on NISQ hardware, with a novel Guided Circuit Mapping technique for noise mitigation and optimized qubit routing.

Findings

Hardware results closely match analytical predictions within 12% error.

Guided Circuit Mapping improves payoff stability under noise.

Quantum strategies outperform classical equilibrium predictions.

Abstract

Implementing quantum game theory on real hardware is challenging due to noise, decoherence, and limited qubit connectivity, yet such demonstrations are essential to validate theoretical predictions. We present one of the first full experimental realizations of the Battle of the Sexes game under the Eisert-Wilkens-Lewenstein (EWL) framework on IBM Quantum's ibm sherbrooke superconducting processor. Four quantum strategies (I, H, $R(\pi/4)$, $R(\pi)$) were evaluated across 31 entanglement values $\gamma \in [0, \pi]$ using 2048 shots per configuration, enabling a direct comparison between analytical predictions and hardware execution. To mitigate noise and variability, we introduce a Guided Circuit Mapping (GCM) method that dynamically selects qubit pairs and optimizes routing based on real-time topology and calibration data. The analytical model forecasts up to $108\%$ payoff improvement over the classical equilibrium, and despite hardware-induced deviations, experimental results with GCM preserve the expected payoff trends within $3.5\%$-$12\%$ relative error. These findings show that quantum advantages in strategic coordination can persist under realistic NISQ conditions, providing a pathway toward practical applications of quantum game theory in multi-agent, economic, and distributed decision-making systems.