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Chapter 04 of 5

Tit-for-Tat: The Tournament

Robert Axelrod’s discovery of the most successful evolutionary strategy.

  1. The Challenge

    Axelrod's Invitation

    In 1980, political scientist Robert Axelrod invited experts to submit computer programs for a round-robin tournament. The goal was to solve the Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma.

  2. Contestants

    The Participants

    Fourteen experts in economics, psychology, and mathematics submitted strategies. Each program played 200 rounds against every other program.

  3. Complexity

    Intricate Logic

    Many entries used complex probability and high-level calculus to predict opponent behavior. One entry was just four lines of code.

17 more cards in this chapter

Could you answer this?

In Axelrod's tournament, how did the Tit-for-Tat strategy respond if its opponent defected?

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🤝 The Prisoner’s Dilemma: The Logic of Betrayal

  1. 01The Interrogation RoomFoundational logic of the original RAND Corporation thought experiment.
  2. 02The Payoff MatrixThe cold mathematical structure of rewards and punishments.
  3. 03The Infinite GameShifting from one-off betrayals to repeated interactions.
  4. 04Tit-for-Tat: The TournamentRobert Axelrod’s discovery of the most successful evolutionary strategy.
  5. 05Nash Equilibrium in the WildApplying the dilemma to nuclear arms, trade wars, and ecology.