The unbinding core for coalitional form games

In this paper, we introduce a new core concept called the unbinding core by extending the definition of a deviation. In the traditional definition, players deviate if a profitable allocation exists after their deviation, while our new definition requires that all possible allocations are profitable. Therefore, the unbinding core becomes a superset of the traditional core. We examine some properties of the unbinding core. A sufficient condition for the unbinding core to be nonempty is also provided. •We introduce a new core notion, called the unbinding core, for cooperative games.•We present differences and similarities between the unbinding core and the traditional core.•A sufficient condition for the unbinding core to be nonempty is provided.