The legacy of John Nash and his equilibrium theory

The American mathematician John Nash, who died in a taxi accident at the weekend, is probably best known to the wider public through Russell Crowe's portrayal of him in the 2001 movie A Beautiful Mind.

Study shows how moral behavior pays off in the end

Selfless behavior and cooperation cannot be taken for granted. Mohammad Salahshour of the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences (now at Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior), has used a game theory-based ...

How superstitions spread

Ancient Roman leaders once made decisions about important events, such as when to hold elections or where to build new cities, based on the presence or flight patterns of birds. Builders often omit the thirteenth floor from ...

A new take on the games people play in their relationships

Human nature has deep evolutionary roots and is manifested in relationships with family members, friends, romantic and business partners, competitors, and strangers more than in any other aspects of behavior or intellectual ...

Exploring the causes of persistent corruption

Corruption impedes equitable development, destabilizes societies, and undermines the institutions and values of democracy. It is viewed by many as one of the world's greatest problems. According to a Gallup poll, a majority ...

When reputation is at stake, punishment becomes more responsible

(Phys.org) -- The evolution of cooperative behaviour in people is often explained by the fact that it provides the opportunity to punish undesirable behaviour. However, such punishment is costly and the benefits for the person ...

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