Evolution and the Theory of Games [Paperback]

This 1982 book is an account of an alternative way of thinking about evolution and the theory of games.By applying game theory to the problems of population biology, the author has succeeded in inventing new and interesting ways of looking at populations and has developed a theory leading to testable predictions.By applying game theory to the problems of population biology, the author has succeeded in inventing new and interesting ways of looking at populations and has developed a theory leading to testable predictions.In this 1982 book, the theory of games, first developed to analyse economic behaviour, is modified so that it can be applied to evolving populations. John Maynard Smith's concept of an evolutionarily stable strategy is relevant whenever the best thing for an animal or plant to do depends on what others are doing. The theory leads to testable predictions about the evolution of behaviour, of sex and genetic systems, and of growth and life history patterns. This book contains a full account of the theory, and of the data relevant to it. The account is aimed at senior undergraduate and graduate students, teachers and research workers in animal behaviour, population genetics and evolutionary biology. The book will also be of interest to mathematicians and game theorists; the mathematics has been largely confined to appendixes so that the main text may be easily followed by biologists.1. Introduction; 2. The basic model; 3. The war of attrition; 4. Games with genetic models; 5. Learning the ESS; 6. Mixed strategies-I. A classification of mechanisms; 7. Mixed strategies-II. Examples; 8. Asymmetric games-I. Ownership; 9. Asymmetric games-II. A classification, and some illustrative examples; 10. Asymmetric games-III. Sex and generation games; 11. Life history strategies and the size game; 12. Honesty, bargaining and commitment; 13. The evolution of cooperation; 14. Postscript; Appendices. Of those two near-contradictory things publishers say about a book, thatlóg