Game theory of conflict by Thomas C Schelling

The Game Theory of Conflict Dr Thomas C Schelling, University of Maryland. The Prisoners’ Dilemma: An Unsympathetic Critique The most popular, most famous, most mentioned exemplar in game theory, especially in the social sciences, is the ‘prisoners’ dilemma’ – actually a predicament rather than a dilemma. Two men – all we know is their gender – charged with a joint violation of the law, are held separately by the police. Each is told that: If one confesses and the other does not, the former will be given a reward of one unit and the latter will be fined two units; If both confess, each will be fined one unit; If neither confesses, both will go clear. Each of the two gains suffered less by confessing, but if they could reach a binding agreement they would clearly agree not to confess. As originally presented in unpublished note by Albert Tucker and, usually, faithfully followed by game-theoretic analysts, this is all we know, namely their gender. It usually follows, at least by implication, that b