| Article ID: | iaor19952240 |
| Country: | United States |
| Volume: | 272 |
| Issue: | 6 |
| Start Page Number: | 50 |
| End Page Number: | 55 |
| Publication Date: | Jun 1995 |
| Journal: | Scientific American |
| Authors: | Nowak Martin A., May Robert M., Sigmund Karl |
| Keywords: | simulation: applications |
When should an individual co-operate with others? When does it make more sense to betray them for selfish gain? The answer to such questions ripple through evolutionary biology and sociology. In computer simulations, strategies, such the aptly named ‘Tit for Tat’, duel for dominance. Achieving the right balance among altruism, forgiveness and treachery seems to be the key to victory.