Click on a thumbnail to go to Google Books.
Loading... Prisoner's Dilemma (edition 1993)by William Poundstone
Work InformationPrisoner's Dilemma: John Von Neumann, Game Theory, and the Puzzle of the Bomb by William Poundstone
Loading...
Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. Mostly a bio of John Von Neumann, it also goes into some depth on the history of the early days of the Cold War, and the RAND Corporation in particular. As an overview of game theory for non-mathematical people, it's excellent. It does wander around a bit, and is a bit dated in discussions of AI and computer gaming. Nevertheless a worthwhile read, adding historical context to some of today's prisoner's dilemmas. ( ) Poundstone skillfully weaves together a report on the life of John von Neumann and an account of the development of game theory and its application to the study of warfare in the early years of the Cold War. Some keen observations contained herein: naiveté often accompanies a faith in the beauty and simplicity of abstract equations; rationality is an ideal, without real-world correspondence; and, counter-intuitively, irrational cooperation is a prerequisite for the orderly life of societies. Chicken readily translates into an abstract game. Strictly speaking, game theory’s chicken dilemma occurs at the last possible moment of a game of highway chicken. Each driver has calculated his reaction time and his car’s turning radius (which are assumed identical for both cars and both drivers); there comes a moment of truth in which each must decide whether or not to swerve. The decision is irrevocable and must be made in ignorance of the other driver’s decision. There is no time for one driver’s last-minute decision to influence the other driver’s decision. In its simultaneous, life or death simplicity, chicken is one of the purest examples of von Neumann’s concept of a game. Blonde Beaver Pale Ale Rock Art Barley Wine no reviews | add a review
Should you watch public television without pledging'...Exceed the posted speed limit'...Hop a subway turnstile without paying? These questions illustrate the so-called "prisoner's dilemma", a social puzzle that we all face every day. Though the answers may seem simple, their profound implications make the prisoner's dilemma one of the great unifying concepts of science. Watching players bluff in a poker game inspired John von Neumann--father of the modern computer and one of the sharpest minds of the century--to construct game theory, a mathematical study of conflict and deception. Game theory was readily embraced at the RAND Corporation, the archetypical think tank charged with formulating military strategy for the atomic age, and in 1950 two RAND scientists made a momentous discovery. Called the "prisoner's dilemma," it is a disturbing and mind-bending game where two or more people may betray the common good for individual gain. Introduced shortly after the Soviet Union acquired the atomic bomb, the prisoner's dilemma quickly became a popular allegory of the nuclear arms race. Intellectuals such as von Neumann and Bertrand Russell joined military and political leaders in rallying to the "preventive war" movement, which advocated a nuclear first strike against the Soviet Union. Though the Truman administration rejected preventive war the United States entered into an arms race with the Soviets and game theory developed into a controversial tool of public policy--alternately accused of justifying arms races and touted as the only hope of preventing them. A masterful work of science writing, Prisoner's Dilemma weaves together a biography of the brilliant and tragic von Neumann, a history of pivotal phases of the cold war, and an investigation of game theory's far-reaching influence on public policy today. Most important, Prisoner's Dilemma is the incisive story of a revolutionary idea that has been hailed as a landmark of twentieth-century thought. No library descriptions found. |
Current DiscussionsNonePopular covers
Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)510.092Natural sciences and mathematics Mathematics General Mathematics MathematicsLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
Is this you?Become a LibraryThing Author. |