Equilibrium correction iteration for a class of mean-field game inverse problems

Abstract This work investigates the ambient potential identification problem in inverse Mean-Field Games (MFGs), where the goal is to recover the unknown potential from the value function at equilibrium. We propose a simple yet effective iterative strategy, Equilibrium Correction Iteration (ECI), that leverages the structure of MFGs rather than relying on generic optimization formulations. ECI uncovers hidden information from equilibrium measurements, offering a new perspective on inverse MFGs. To improve computational efficiency, two acceleration variants are introduced: Best Response Iteration (BRI), which uses inexact forward solvers, and Hierarchical ECI (HECI), which incorporates multilevel grids. While BRI performs efficiently in general settings, HECI proves particularly effective in recovering low-frequency potentials. We also highlight a connection between the potential identification problem in inverse MFGs and inverse linear parabolic equations, suggesting promising directions for future theoretical analysis. Finally, comprehensive numerical experiments demonstrate how viscosity, terminal time, and interaction costs can influence the well-posedness of the inverse problem.