Alicorn comments on Thomas C. Schelling's "Strategy of Conflict" - Less Wrong

81 Post author: cousin_it 28 July 2009 04:08PM

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Comment author: Wei_Dai 28 July 2009 05:24:36PM 2 points [-]

I sometimes think of game theory as being roughly divided in three parts, like Gaul. There's competitive zero-sum game theory, there's cooperative game theory, and there are games where players compete but also have some shared interest.

I'm still trying to figure out a good description of "cooperative game theory". What do you think of this:

Cooperative game theory studies situations where agreements to cooperate can be enforced, and asks which agreements and outcomes will result. This typically involves considerations of individual rationality and fairness.

Comment author: Alicorn 28 July 2009 05:34:49PM 2 points [-]

What do you mean by "enforced"?

Comment author: Wei_Dai 28 July 2009 05:50:17PM 4 points [-]

It means we can assume that once an agreement is made, all the agents will follow it. For example, the agreement may be a contract enforceable by law, or enforced by being provably coded into the agents' decision algorithms, or just by the physics of the situation like in my black hole example.

Comment author: Jack 28 July 2009 05:50:40PM 0 points [-]

I assume he means punishing defectors.