The Calculus of Selfishness (ebook)

Argumento de The Calculus of Selfishness (ebook)

"Sigmund's writing is admirably clear and historically grounded and he wisely restricts his coverage primarily to a subset of situations. . . . [Sigmund] makes fascinating reading for the interested general reader and provides a good background in game theory which should inoculate readers from being fooled by sloppy or completely incorrect references in the popular media."--Sarah Boslaugh, MAA Reviews

"Sigmund has . . . done an admirable job of motivating the material and making it accessible for the non-expert who is interested in theories to explain the evolution of cooperation."--Ross Cressman, Mathematical Reviews

"With collaborators from Vienna, Sigmund has pioneered the development of evolutionary game dynamics. This thought-provoking book is a distillation of his many influential contributions to the field. It is a showcase of clever models and elegant mathematics, replete with sometimes counterintuitive insights."--Nature

"Karl Sigmund helped conceive the field of evolutionary game theory and has dominated it for over thirty years. With The Calculus of Selfishness, he has written a highly engaging and captivating book for students and experts who want to learn about one of the most fascinating fields of science. When it comes to Karl Sigmund we are all students. This book is written for you and me."--Martin Nowak, Harvard University

"In this outstanding and beautiful book, Karl Sigmund extends the theory of games to understand how variations in real social situations alter social outcomes. With elegance, he clarifies the results from different studies, fully develops the concepts of reputation and trust, and gives the foundations for moving the discipline to the next level."--Steven Frank, University of California, Irvine

"Sigmund's mathematical exposition is exemplary. He starts with the presumption that the reader has only rudimentary linear algebra and some notion of what a differential equation is, and he builds up from there, introducing more advanced concepts and results as needed. He avoids formal proofs and bookkeeping in favor of careful explanations of key points and illustrative calculations. As he teaches evolutionary game theory, Sigmund is also demonstrating how to write about applied mathematics."--Cosma Shalizi, American Scientist

"In The Calculus of Selfishness, Karl Sigmund provides a comprehensive and accessible mathematical exposition of the evolutionary game theory of selfishness. The book should prove accessible to natural and social scientists as its mathematical arguments employ intuition, geometry, and simulation with a minimum of axiomatic formality. The demands on the reader typically involve little more than linear algebra and calculus."--David Krakauer, Science0Preface vii
Chapter 1: Introduction: Social Traps and Simple Games 1
Chapter 2: Game Dynamics and Social Learning 25
Chapter 3: Direct Reciprocity: The Role of Repetition 49
Chapter 4: Indirect Reciprocity: The Role of Reputation 82
Chapter 5: Fairness and Trust: The Power of Incentives 104
Chapter 6: Public Goods and Joint Efforts: Between Freedom and Enforcement 123
Chapter 7: Cooperation in Structured Populations 145
References 155
Index 169