Sanmit Narvekar CS 301

Introduction Deals with a set of situations where one must make a choice – knowing that others are making choices too, and that the outcome will be determined by all the choices that are made. Example: The Nuclear Dilemma In the late 1940s (about the start of the Cold War) Russia became nuclear. It now became possible that a swift surprise attack could wipe an entire nation off the earth. Would you want to be the victim? Knowing the other side is hostile, should you nuke them? What are the consequences of each? Modern equivalents? Similar to calling bluffs in poker.

The Rational Decision Rationally, you will do what is in your best interests. People are selfish – they want the most utility and the least trouble. Trolley cart example. Do unto others as THEY would do unto you. As an individual, you are better off defecting no matter what the other person does. Your opponent, as a rational individual, should also defect. Because of this selfishness, you both suffer. Thinking as a group is the only way to maximize utility. Thus, the optimal outcome is an emergent property.

Under what conditions will cooperation EMERGE? If you play this “game” a finite number of times, there is no reason to cooperate on the last play. Of course, knowing this you could argue there is no point cooperating at all. Thus, what makes it possible for cooperation to emerge is the fact that the players might meet again. In other words, the game is played indefinitely. When we do things for other people, we usually expect them to “return the favor.” So, emergence of cooperation can be explained as a consequence of individuals acting for their own interest. Cooperating gives both individuals the maximum utility.

Conclusions The Nuclear Dilemma was a continuous case. Many moral dilemmas are once in a blue moon cases. How to promote cooperation for these situations? One way is using rules and regulations Would have been useful for the recent financial crisis. Doesn’t work for all scenarios. Build upon precedents? This is fairly close to a “continuous game.” You are able to see how past actions either maximized utility or if they didn’t. Other models? Science, religion, etc…