Insurers participating in pooled-employer programs lose money, possibly due to adverse selection, as high-risk employees are more likely to select certain plans. (by Allison Bruce)

Game theory can be used to become the world champion of poker and to understand the commitment power of engagement rings. (by Tim Harford)

Annuities offer reduced risk for an ageing population, but adverse selection leads to high premiums, as those with high life expectancies are most likely to enroll. (by David Uren)

New bond-rating system for Canadian banks takes into account the likelihood of government bailouts, recognizing moral hazard (by Harry Koza)

The decision to take steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs is a dominant strategy, leading to a prisoner's dilemma (by Bruce Schneier)

New regulations encourage Korean citizens to purchase homes in the US, but information asymmetry and adverse selection require caution -- a simple tale of the lemons problem applied to homes. (by Chang Se-moon)

Even Wall Street's biggest money managers overbid in the traditional dollar auction. (by Paul B. Farrell)

Questions the wisdom of applying tit for tat to the Israel-Lebanon war (by Tim Harford)

Regular flooding of the Delaware River is due to moral hazard. Responsible parties, including energy companies, face no responsibility as the federal government provides relief. (by Graham L. Brown)

Argues that investors should stay away from hedge funds because of cognitive biases and the winner's curse. (by Jonathan Reiss)

Adverse selection in the pension insurance market is overcome with mandating insurance coverage, but moral hazard persists. (by Jagadeesh Gokhale and Peter van Doren)

Argues that waiting periods for medical insurance coverage in South Africa should be used only to overcome adverse selection, not to forward discrimination.

Discusses why economic analysis of sport is becoming increasingly more common (by Sue Kirchhoff)

A drunk boater speeds directly at police, described as a game of chicken (with unfortunate pun) in the headline. (by Brandon Puttbrese)

Failing to learn from James Dean, and suffer a head-on auto collision as both refuse to lose in a game of chicken (by James V. Franco)

Computer scientists use game theory to create poker-playing computers. (by David Templeton)

William Chen, a PhD mathematician, uses game theory and mathematics to win at the World Series of Poker. (by Ryan McLane)

Optimal soccer penalty kicks require the use of mixed strategies. Zidane and Buffon are cited not only as world-class players but also master strategists. (by Tim Harford)

Stock market frenzies and crashes need not be due to exuberance or idiocy, but may reflect rational signaling and information herding. (by Tim Harford)

Lawyers will face off, with the assistance of paralegals. Perhaps mixed strategy equilibria will be a required topic in law schools. (by Matt Sokoloff)

A discussion of the theoretical and psychological elements of risk in the insurance industry (by Tim Harford)

A lengthy discussion of the game-theoretic aspects of poker (by Tim Harford)

Angry letters respond to a review article in Science which suggested that cooperative game theory is a better model of reproduction than Darwin's sexual selection. (by Nick Atkinson)

A discussion of Akerlof's famous lemon problem, and the role of adverse selction in the markets for used cars and insurance (by Tim Harford)

A clever argument, applying simple insights from auction theory, that lobbyists have less power than commonly imagined. (by Tim Harford)

The theory of focal points suggests that random strangers should be able to find each other in New York City in this Primetime experiment.

Thomas Schelling's Nobel prize winning theory helps people diet, with public humiliation facing those who do not lose the weight.

Describes Google's and Yahoo's online auctions for ad space, delving into the theory of first- and second-price auctions, and the winner's curse.

In suggesting investors buy Johnson and Johnson, the article touches upon the winner's curse in takeover abttles. (by Pat Dorsey)

An economist worries about the moral hazard created by the medicare prescription drug benefit. (by Austan Goolsbee)

In response to the 2005 Nobel Prize, argues that game theory is merely a theoretical pastime, and experimental economics is the hope of progress for economics. (by Michael Mandel )

A certain bacteria-eatring virus plays the prisoner's dilemma, with "cheat" a substantial proportion evolving to play "cheat." (by Paul E. Turner)

Argues that politicians have overstated the moral hazard problem in medical insurance, as few people would overconsume medical services. (by Malcolm Gladwell)

From the "reportes pointing out the painfully obvious" department, this reporter notes that the final match of the FA Cup is a "zero-sum game." (by Jayaditya Gupta)

Major auction houses forced to play rock-paper-scissors over rights to auction eccentric millionaire's art. "Sotheby's decided to leave its decision to chance, and had no particular strategy." (by Lloyd Garver)

In the battle over the use of the filibuster in the United States Senate, members are "like testosterone-crazed teenage drivers locked in a game of chicken." (by Dick Polman)

Steve Ballmer mentions "In the game theory of things, we assumed there was some probability" in analyzing entry decisions.

Star Wars movie review and political commentary notes the fallen hero "Anakin morphs into a zero-sum tyrant ... almost the mirror image of George W. Bush." (by Kevin Canfield)

Brief reference to professional poker player Chris Ferguson, who is known as "Jesus" and wishes to become a professor of game theory. (by Peter Carlson)

Discusses the introduction of a new United States postage stamp honoring John von Neumann

A cause for the world's diminshing supply of fish "is the age-old 'tragedy of the commons', whereby anyone with access to a shared valuable resource has an interest in over-exploiting it, and it is in nobody's interest alone to maintain it."

(by Ashok Vohra)

Not a good idea. (by Josh Pringle)

Reviews the trend in film and on television to incorporate mathematical themes, including the film A Beautiful Mind and the show Numb3rs. (by John Allen Paulos)

Online vote swapping sites in the US and UK allow people to trade their votes for those in districts where they can have more impact. (by Celeste Biever)

Canadian politicians employ game theorists to assist in negotiation and deal-making with rival factions. (by Petti Fong)

A rather scathing review of Paul Omerod's "Why Things Fail" which includes references to bounded rationality and evolutionary game theory in explaining business failures. (by Paul Ormerod)

Major auction houses forced to play rock-paper-scissors over rights to auction eccentric millionaire's art. "Sotheby's decided to leave its decision to chance, and had no particular strategy." (by Carol Vogel)

The Prisoner's dilemma applied to politics: "Most people won't vote for the minor parties because they expect other people not to vote for them, and therefore consider such a vote wasted" (by George Monbiot)

Prisoners' dilemmas are only troublesome when people are assumed to be selfish. Yet, if we predicate public policy on reciprocity and cooperation, better outcomes would result. (by John Kay)

Reviews the work of Ernst Fehr and others on altrusim and reciprocity in economic experiments. (by Mark Buchanan)

A somewhat disingenuous critique of game theory in which the author finds that no academic game theorist can provide concrete examples of game theory used by businesses. (by Martin Kihn)

People see patterns even when none exist, such as in IPod's randomization feature. This presents a behavioral challenge for mixed strategies. (by Steven Levy)

An evolutionary take on public goods contribution experiments, in which subject populations may converge to mixed strategies

Describes the human emotion of jealousy as "a perfect paradigm of insufficiency: I am less because you are more. It's a zero-sum game." (by Marc Ian Barasch)

Interview with John Nash about economics, mental illness, and the film based on his life (by Michael Brooks )

Baseball pitchers deliberately target hitters more often in the American League, where the pitchers do not have to take a turn at bat (by Daniel H. Pink)

What states should presidential candidates visit in the final days of their campaign? Some strategies are dominant, others are mixed. (by Jordan Ellenberg)

Argues that outsourcing and globalization are not zero sum games as the presidential campaign may make some believe.

Daphne Koller, winner of the MacArthur "genius award," develops methods for calculating mixed strategies.

Allocation of resources across states by presidential candidates is a zero sum game.

What happens when people play public contribution games during a brain scan? We discover that people like punishing defectors even at a cost to themselves.

A modern updating of Axelrod's tournament finds a strategy that beats tit for tat in the prisoner's dilemma, but only by sacrificing team mates.

An introduction to the p-beauty contest and its repeated play, with some vague application to financial markets (by John Allen Paulos)

A model offers game theoretic predictions of the likelihood of terrorist attacks.

Colonies of generally competitive ants have been found with a genetic mutation that turns off competitiveness and allows for large-scale cooperation (by Ingrid Sanders)

Decribes progress in the science of decision-making, including economic, psychological, and neurological perspectives. (by Laura Spinney)

Local governments overspend due to moral hazard and inappropriate incentives rewarding growth without punishing expenditure.

Environmental protection suffers from the tragedy of the commons where public lands suffer due to a lack of property rights.

Argues that outsourcing of American jobs is a tragedy of the commons in which each company raises its profits but leads to less purchasing power at home.

Moral hazard allows AL batters to get hit by pitches more often than NL batters since the designated hitter rule precludes a tit-for-tat response.

Notes that international cooperation to fight terrorism is a prisoner's dilemma with each nation having incentive to do less than its share.

Cites arguments that adverse selection will lead to only the healthiest accepting medical savings accounts, leaving remaining workers with higher health costs.

New York City development suffers from a tragedy of the commons in which no one has incentive to invest in the quirky, but the City benefits from the weird.

Student paper notes that college dating is a prisoner's dilemma with payoffs expressed in "exclusivity points" (yup, it's a stretch).

Relates game theory to statistical mechanics and discusses possible crossover between the two fields.

Cites an executive who notes that to sift through future scenarios for the telecom industry, "you need game theory to work them all out."

Discusses the international importance of India-Pakistan cricket matches and notes that sport and war are often zero-sum games.

Coins are more likely to end up facing the same way they started the coin toss, calling into question their use as a method of resolving disputes.

Employer surveys reveal that many employees are not proficient, partly due to training and partly due to moral hazard and poor incentive structures.

David Romer's analysis suggesting that football teams punt too often is considered by the New England Patriots. (by David Loenhardt)

Chronicles one man's attempt to bring sanity and careful calculations into football strategy. (by Jascha Hoffman)

Amusing article about how misspelled auction listings are less likely to be found and thus create an arbitrage opportunity. (by Diana Jean Schemo)

Athletes appear subconsciously to apply Bayes' Rule and to play equilibrium mixed strategies

A leading auctioneer discusses the winner's curse, reflecting industry experience but only a vague, rudimentary view of auction theory (by Deb Weidenhamer)

A more reasoned approach to football strategy determines the value of each field position to calculate optimal play calling. (by Josh Levin)

Strategic commitment highlighted through a poision pill provision, creating an additional $800 million cost to be assumed by Oracle in case of a takeover.

Strategic selection of movie release dates is often a game of chicken and often requires credible preemption.

The new champions of poker include those skilled in probability and game theory (by Paul Keegan)

Refutes the moral hazard argument that helmet laws make riders less safe by empowering them to take on more risks.

Argues that the market incorrectly views retailing as a zero sum game, punishing one chain for successes by another.

The World Championships of Rock, Paper, Scissors take mixed strategies a bit too far but guarantee fun for all.

Ticketmaster begins to sell some concert tickets through auctions attempting to appropriate some surplus currently going to scalpers. (by Leslie Walker)

The distribution of Congressional suits proportional to population makes it a zero sum game, leading to battles over counting illegals.

Short letter to the editor notes that moral hazard leads to more head injuries for skiers wearing helmets than for those foregoing the safety gear.

Employer life insurance is too costly due to adverse selection. Only the sickest employees sign up, leading to higher premiums.

Game theory helps determine likely outcome of game if fan had not interfered.

Argues that open source software does not cause a tragedy of the commons but in fact turns the tragedy "into a Tragedy into a Cornucopia."

Bayesian probabilistic spam filters work better than static checking against keywords or address lists.

Discusses trends in executive incentive pay in light of recent scandals.

Highlights Vernon Smith's contributions to behavioral economics and notes how the field is finding new applications.

Computer system security is not simply a probabilistic exercise since hackers are strategic actors. Game theoretic thought is required.

When nuclear weapons are involved, perhaps counting on rationality and common knowledge is a bit too much to ask, given the cost of failure.

Worried that the two republican frontrunners will split the vote, Congressman Issa issues a threat to oppose both.

Argues that the Clintons wish to change the game for personal gain, propping up weak candidates to prolong confusion.

The finding that monkeys have an innate sense of fairness may mean that altruism may be quite rational.

A (dubious) study finds that a species of monkeys has an innate sense of fairness. Perhaps the monkeys should have played an ultimatum game.

A simplistic characterization of globalization and interdependence as making the world "more nonzero-sum," tying American prosperity to that of other nations.

Classic game of chicken in the State Assembly over an environmental bill as the legislative deadline nears.

Analyzes the power of each voter under varying presidential election rules.

Notes that economists are more greedy than other people in the ultimatum game. (by Avia Spivak)

Discusses common evidence of irrationality and a possession effect in economics.

Notes how several companies combine neural networks with game theory to create software to mine consumer data and create targeted campaigns.

In the evolutionary mating game, experienced partners of a number of species prefer weaker males, potentially as a signal of less abuse to come.

As the recall election filing deadline approaches, Schwarzenegger and Riordan play game of chicken as only one should run, but should enter at the final moment.

A Pentagon advisor believes that financiers of "vicious dictatorships" should face a moral hazard but perhaps the hazard is for not supporting US efforts?

A 1974 parody show serves as an example of "Living Scultpure". Contestants participated in a prisoner's dilemma with payoffs reflected as hours of solitary time in a basement.

If there was such a thing as the "game Theory Darwin Awards," these two participants in a carless version of game of chicken would likely win.

Describes alternative voting systems and metions Arrow's Impossibility Theorem (by Michael Cooper)

A judge believes that investors should take responsibility for stock market losses. Allowing losers to sue brokerages would create a moral hazard.

California republicans face a tragedy of the commons as more candidates entering against Governor Davis implies a smaller chance of any Republican winning.

Poker professionals are studying up online and by using simulation software which uses game theory to determine optimal strategies.

Recaps a behavioral economics conference and discusses some common failures of rationality.

Do Supreme Court members vote independently or are there clear and repeating patterns?

Calls for the advent of "neuroeconomics," a blending of game theory and emotion allowing for standard anomalies in rationality.

Lack of new talent means Hollywood talent agencies playing zero sum game, fighting over fixed resources.

Points out that online auctions are not a panacea, and warns against concentrating solely on price.

New director of career services at Wharton uses game theory for optimal interview scheduling.

Both tightening of security post 9/11 and terrorists' increased pursuit of "soft" targets reflect optimal mixed strategies.

A modern-day tragedy of the commons as dogs, bicycles, cafes, and others compete for New York's limited sidewalks.

A game theoretic analysis of the Middle East conflict, considering irrationality and whether the game is or is not zero-sum

One researcher suggests a hormonal cause of good will in games and an inverse link between religion and altrusim. (by Ken Grimes)

Summarizes a RAND article by Feltovich, Harbaugh To, which argues that, in a population of three types of people, the best types may send " countersignals."

The subsidization of the airline industry creates a moral hazard as airlines do not face the risk of loss.

Does forgiving post-war Iraq its pre-war debts create a moral hazard for other countries?

Academic cheating is pervasive and creates a prisoner's dilemma as people may elect cheat to stay competitive.

Argues that the insurance-industry requirement to offer terrorism insurance will lead to more terrorist attacks as moral hazard precludes care.

The threat of stealing a base keeps the opponent guessing but few games are won due to base stealing.

Food giant Mars Inc. applies game theory and auction theory to improve logistics and decrease shipping costs.

Being trusting in business is not naive but an optimal way to play repeated prisoner's dilemmas according to Axelrod's findings.

Financial auction markets are better predictors of world events, from terrorism to elections.

Diplomatic and military brinkmanship games require strong commitments to win. Who will blink first on each front?

Reports on initial simulations of the evolution of cooperative societies, overcoming the incentive to free ride.

A concise introduction to auction theory, including auction types, the winner's curse, and the FCC Spectrum Auctions.

Race cars drafting resemble a stag hunt game; racers balance cooperation and aggression.

Marketing firm creates customer loyalty and retention products through applications of game theory.

An interview with game theorist Avinash Dixit about the fundamentals of game theory (by Chinmayee S)

Models of strategic voting inform how different procedures in Britain's legislature may lead to distinct outcomes.

Price wars continue in the prisoner's dilemma of automotive pricing.

Quantum computing holds a solution to the prisoner's dilemma, physicists show.

Chronicles the heterodox movement in economics and discusses the relaxation of rationality assumptions.

Bayes' Rule indicates that even if we can predict a future terrorist with great accuracy, we will usually be wrong.

Game theory is applied to terrorism prevention, from optimal vaccination to baggage screening.

Discusses the role of capitation and other incentive pay packages in managed care.

A perverse (and incorrect) application of the minimax notion of mixed strategies to poker.

Describes the origin of the word brinkmanship and the game of chicken from James Dean to Iraq.

Game theorist John Nash likes Keynesian economists to Bolsheviks, speaks against nation-controlled currencies.

Amarty Sen addresses John Nash's bargaining solution arguing for the inclusion of equity and fairness notions.

Companies increasingly use incentive pay to shift profit risks to employees.

Since many Web resources are public, the tragedy of the commons occurs, diminishing their usefulness.

An application of Bayes' Rule indicating that even if we can predict a future terrorist with great accuracy, we will usually be wrong. (by John Allen Paulos)

The winner's curse impacts auctions for telecom licenses. Effects could be reduced through transparency and information-sharing. (by Bhaskar Chakravorti)

When species coevolve, the one that adapts slower effectively commits and may be better off.

Discusses how the reality TV show's many strategic challenges can be analyzed with game theory.

Collective herding in Mongolia suffers the tragedy of the commons as some leaders call for privatization.

Argues that Saddam Hussein is rational and deterrence may be achieved through credible commitment.

Blue Jays trained to play the prisoner's dilemma appear to adopt a tit-for-tat strategy, leading to cooperation.

Rupert Murdoch's success in business is partly the result of "understanding how game theory shaped deal negotiations and inter-firm competition" (by Alex Burns)

Describes a Bayesian approach to filtering spam from users' mailboxes.

Suggests that a Medicare prescription benefit would result in financial troubles due to adverse selection.

The Federal Reserve's stimulus policies present a moral hazard.

The game of adding pork to important legislation through bill riders represents a political game of chicken.

Hundreds of competitors at the World Rock Paper Scissors Society add a heuristic approach to mixed strategies.

Compatibility of hardware and software is a prisoner's dilemma, resolved by the adoption of standards.

Timothy Belden, at the center of the Enron scandal, studied game theory at Berkeley.

John Nash acts as expert witness in support of game theory in the court room.

Describes at length research noting that deterrence in international relations requires fending off only select attacks.

Auditing tax payers requires mixed strategies but greater enforcement costs require proportionally greater funding.

Short commentary argues most poker players decide on a whim, not optimal mixed strategies.

Discusses different voting systems and how the outcomes depend greatly on the specific rules employed.

Paul Romer's findins that teams should punt less often given the odds criticized by professional coaches.

Tetris, the addictive computer game, is not only hard, it is NP-complete.

Since security is a public good, developing secure protocols is a tragedy of the commons. (by William Jackson)

Applauds U.S.-style antitrust laws that provide immunity to cartel members who come forward as a "clever use of game theory" creating a race to cooperate.

Philosopher offers resolution to prisoner's dilemma relying on the establishment of "social identities."

Global overfishing and a dwindling supply of fish the result of a tragedy of the commons.

Payoffs may encourage copy-cats, a moral hazard but may be worth considering if the threat is sufficiently credible

Argues Kissinger's foreign policy based on zero-sum game theory.

Local columnist blames the field of game theory for the existence of unethical behavior.

Applies minimax solution concepts to zero-sum casino games.

Association of Coffee Producing Countries fails to maintain prices and cooperation, abandons collusion.

Joe Paterno's seeming irrationality may be commitment device to instill fear in officials.

Nobel prize awarded for pioneering work in experimental economics and behavioral game theory.

Nobel prize awarded for pioneering work in experimental economics and behavioral game theory.

The demise of the digital video technology demonstrates the first mover disadvantage in technology.

The repeated prisoner's dilemma of OPEC cooperation is unstable.

Provides algorithms for modeling complexity: boundedly rational agents playing repeated congestion games

Quantum computing holds a solution to the prisoner's dilemma and other games, physicists show. (by Chiu Fan Lee and Neil F Johnson)

Prescription drug coverage proposals face adverse selection problems as healthy less likely to sign on.

Alan Dershowitz argues that a credible commitment not to negotiate with terrorists decreases terrorist attacks.

Union uses mixed strategies in threatening slowdowns to gain upper hand in negotation

Economists design market mechanisms including auctions and the National Resident Matching Program.

American football coaches should punt less often, given the odds.

International monetary fund bail-outs cause moral hazard, bad investments (by Philip Thornton)

Overbidding in auctions and quantal response equilibria.

The game of Go is deceptively simple to learn but challenging for even a computer to play.

Argues for interdisciplinary approaches to game theory to replace rational paradigms.

How stock option bonuses can align incentives of shareholders and executives.

Stock options create a moral hazard, incentives for short-term stock price spikes.

Considers whether historical figures in politics and business satisfy the assumptions of homo economicus, and notes that the definition is quite similar to that of a sociopath. (by John Kay)

Discusses the rising business of software for managing incentive pay of sales forces.

Explores the commitment of marriage and its higher success rate than cohabitation.

Psychiatrists note that cooperation in the prisoner's dilemma is part of innate altruism.

Psychiatrists note that cooperation in the prisoner's dilemma is part of innate altruism.

Terrorists' strategic response to new defenses must be considered in formulating policy and estimating risk.

Examines the role of the winner's curse in auctions for cell phones and IPOs.

Describes simulations of the minority game, a congestion game in which one prefers not to be part of the crowd.

Discusses game theory's contribution to evolutionary cooperation, noting the role of anonymity, repeated play, and kinship.

Can sucide bombers be explained as hawks among doves ? An evolutionary psychology viewpoint.

An introduction to social struggle as a prisoner's dilemma in which the role of government is to devise the right game to be played. (by Alejandro Reuss)

Econophysics tries to explain market movement melding adaptive systems resarch with behavioral game theory.

Argues for an unregulated radio spectrum, without auctions distributing licenses for cell phones. (by Chris Anderson)

Understanding the mixed strategy game of target selection and defense helps quantify risk.

Considers the relationship between credit histories and moral hazard in the insurance industry. (by Reginald Shareef)

Quantum computing holds a solution to the prisoner's dilemma, physicists show.

Price wars are often not sustainable and value-pricing may be a better proposition.

Argues that the Federal Reserve's economy-bolstering actions create a moral hazard.

Movie studios and movie rental stores are embroiled in a game of chicken according to executives.

Globalization has transformed relationships into non-zero sum games

Disequilibrium play in the traveler's dilemma and games with mixed strategies

Generic drug makes paid not to produce generics in cooperation among pharmaceutical manufacturers.

Soccer coaches substitute players too late in the game according to new mathematical models.

How movie studios signal the dates of movie releases to avoid heavy competition.

In an election year, which party will blink first in game of chicken over tax cuts and benefits?

Notes the need to consider strategic moves by current partners, including post-contractual hold up and moral hazard.

Encryption: the web is a one-shot, not an iterated prisoner's dilemma

The tragedy of the commons may be resolved through indirect reciprocity.

Applications of Thaler's research on risk tolerance and rationality to poker

Cooperative hunting and meat-sharing analyzed as a cooperative game and a negotiation.

Human altruistic tendencies result in punishing free-riders, potentially resolving the tragedy of the commons. (by Samuel Bowles and Herbert Gintis)

Baseball players are like oil wells, in that poor bidding strategy for either leads to the winner's curse. (by David Marasco)

Lack of uniformity across European Euro coins leads to different odds of heads and tails in different countries. (by Debora MacKenzie)

German auction for new-generation mobile licenses

Physicists argue that irrationality leads to exploitable patterns in the stock market. (by Mark Buchanan)

Deposit insurance agency may introduce moral hazard by charging the same premiums from all institutions regardless of risk.

Provides extensive introduction to game theory and argues that Eastern Europeans view business culture as a zero-sum game.

Open-source software and network security represent hawk-dove games

Excite loses in game of chicken against AT&T by underestimating its opponent

Describes evidence of Amotz Zahavi's "handicap principle" by which risky, extravangant behaviors by many species of animals signal strength and ability.

How world leaders play games and maintain rationality under stress

Cooperation among European vitamin manufacturers deemed collusive.

Quantum computing holds a solution to the prisoner's dilemma, physicists show. (by Erica Klarreich)

Mayoral race in New York includes cascades, strategic voting, and games of chicken

Government aid to the insurance industry presents a moral hazard problem

The desire to hoard antibiotics in response to anthrax threats leads to a prisoner's dilemma and limited supplies. (by John Allen Paulos)

Strategic voting suggests that we may want to vote for our enemies to improve our situation.

Information technology: the need for game theory, since opponents are rational

The benefits of taking on risk are higher-than-average returns, but there are no risks if airlines are bailed out.

Discusses web-based business plans in light of the tragedy of the commons and the need to privatize Web resources.

Why are buildings in the same city of different heights? Negotiation may lead to higher profits from each building.

Discussion of Shiller's work in behavioral finance

Cities cought in a prisoner's dilemma over recruiting basketball teams.

Credibility in missile defense systems.

Attempts at collusion present free-riding concerns

Increased use of bicycle helmets leads to moral hazard, more injuries.

Trees signal defenses to insects.

Trees signal defenses to insects.

Argues that public ownership of forests leads to a tragedy of the commons.

Energy companies play game of chicken with regulators

Companies struggle with moral hazard and offer incentive pay to even lower-level employees.

Antibiotic resistance presents a tragedy of the commons.

Is modern medicine lowering the health risks of obesity? and other incentive and moral hazard arguments.

Bayesian probability analysis gains popularity in uses ranging from effectiveness of medical procedures to email screeners.

The prisoner's dilemma as an educational tool for developers.

Laying a final pale egg deters free riding "egg dumpers" by signaling that incubation has begun.

Hospitals bidding for nurses find themselves in a prisoner's dilemma.

Microsoft applies Bayesian probability analysis to decide when a user needs help or advice.

An eulogy to Herbert Simon, describing his theory of satisficing and contributions to behavioral economics. (by John Kay)

Asks if ethics are rational and discusses the ultimatum game.

Every sport is identical, in a sense, as all are random walks.

Discusses Thaler's criticism of rationality and how behavioral game theory helps in financial markets.

How the excitement of art auctions at sea leads participants to overbid and overpay.

Bayes Rule suggests that it is likely that an eye witness picks the wrong person.

Submission charges may improve search results, diminishing the tragedy of the commons

Early aggression may lead to retribution in strategy board games.

Provides a guide to negotiation in low-information environments, and notes the role of perception.

Multiple mating strategies survive in the mixed-strategy equilibrium

Multiple mating strategies survive in the mixed-strategy equilibrium

Post-divorce wage differentials explained through search and matching models.

Electronic commerce: automated negotiation requires understanding of game theory

Retail overexpansion the result of a prisoner's dilemma

Examines alternate voting systems such as the Borda count and notes that John McCain's chances would have been better without a plurality system.

Nader and Gore supporters demonstrate strategic voting by swapping votes.

Blockbuster experience highlights greater profits from negotiating revenue sharing arrangements in the supply chain.

Electronic commerce: constant-sum games in online advertising

Discusses the rise of Bayesian statistics and reasons for the existence of detractors.

Warren Buffett proposes to change the rules of the campaign finance strategic voting game

Fisheries in Rhode Island suffer from the tragedy of the commons

Examines cooperation in extensive-form games on the TV show "Survivor."

Discusses the transformation of the diamond cartel in light of greater competition.

Examines the inherent moral hazard created by bail-outs of international financial markets.

Application of zero-sum pursuit-evasion games to missile defense.

Application of zero-sum pursuit-evasion games to missile defense

Auctions are useful market allocation mechanisms when the reward is mostly monetary, but do poorly when the prize is of psychological value. (by John Kay)

Evolutionary biologist George Pierce believed in the evolution of cooperation

A lengthy introduction into both cooperative and non-cooperate game-theoretic elements of fair division. Includes a good synopsis of cooperative solution concepts. (by Theodore P. Hill)

Discusses tit-for-tat as an optimal strategy in repeated games

Stock options reward executives when prices rise but this does not mean incentives are aligned.

Proper assignment of liability creates the incentives for those best able to manage risk to do so.

Third generation (3G) cell phone services auction in Britain

Information and toeholds in auctions for UK soccer teams

Optimal bluffing in poker requires understanding mixed strategies

Evolutionary game theory used to explain the evolution of human language.

Despite the popularity of online auction sites, auctions suffer from several shortcomings including the winner's curse and design issues. (by Peter Coy)

Race cars drafting (tailgating) go faster together resembles a stag hunt game

Alternating between two losing gambles can lead to winning

Quantum computing holds a solution to the prisoner's dilemma

Alternating between two losing gambles can lead to winning

Internet auctions take a strange turn in allocating ova to highest bidders.

Lack of Internet pricing schemes leads to a tragedy of the commons and high congestion.

Examines how future-looking utility-functions can call rationality into question.

Understanding incentives may explain why helmet laws increase fatalities

Rules for negotiation and repeated encounters

Describes how the game of chicken applies not only to film versions of teenage angst, but also to common business situations. (by John Kay)

Summarizes the theory of first versus second and private versus common value auctions but also discusses the role of addiction to auctions.

International relations: replacing game-theoretic models with ones from geology

Primitive phages, bacteria-infecting viruses, play the prisoner's dilemma on a genetic, evolutionary level.

How online auctions worsen the winner's curse by introducing more and more irrational bidders.

Quantum computing can revolutionize game theory with a new breed of mixed strategies

Incorrectly describes a stock market bubble as a prisoner's dilemma but does describe the boundedly rational greater fool theory.

Letter noting that dramatists can view character development in terms of game theory.

Drama Theory attempts to reconcile game theory with irrationality, emotional commitment.

Moral hazard in the Fed's bailout of Long Term Capital Management

Risk management and incentive pay in physician groups.

Famous people describe their decision-making paradigms

An introduction to Nash equilibria in coordination games and their associated problems in practice, including equilibrium selection. (by John Kay)

A brief letter on game theory 's use in business to model interactive decision-making.

Evolutionary game theory explains how animals react to meeting a rival from the same species face to face. (by Mike Mesterton-Gibbons and Eldridge S. Adams)

Can cooperation in prisoner's dilemma -type games evolve without repeated interaction, through indirect reciprocity?

A book review of A Beautiful Mind about John Nash.

Mixed strategies provide a solution for working and shirking in a mythical kingdom.

Both high and low auto insurance premiums can be self-fulfilling prophecies, as two equilibria exist. The better equilibrium, overcoming adverse selection, may come about by mandating insurance. (by Steven E. Landsburg)

Describes the use of tit for tat throughout the natural world and notes Axelrod's findings.

Suggests Shubik's dollar auction as a fun family activity (though offers no disclaimer to the likely feud that will result).

Why beating the S&P is like playing matching pennies

Discusses the operation of legal cartels in the ocean shipping industry.

Reducing sentences for art thieves in return for stolen art creates perverse incentives to steal more.

Pollution regulation is a prisoner's dilemma between companies and regulators

Poisonous frogs adopt different behaviors than their nonpoisonous kin, including brighter colors and dayime activity. (by Verne G. Kopytoff)

Zero-tolerance policing is a game of chicken between cops and sociopaths.

Only recently have economists provided explanations for the existence of advertising. It may be informative, reducing the lemons problem, or a commitment device, by "burning money." (by John Kay)

The new round of the FCC specrum auctions received low prices in some areas, due to bidding increment rules and relatively low turnout.

Examines strategic moves that result in other participants paying you to play the game.

Bayesian networks underly many of Microsoft's technologies, from diagnosing problems to knowing when a user needs advice.

Bell Atlantic Chairman explains use of game theory in modern management

Justifies promiscuity and subsidization of condoms by examining probability, imperfect signals, and externalities

Reflections on the role of math and game theory in business

A winning poker player shares his formula for success, which apparently includes a flawed, rudimentary understanding of game theory. (by Alan Deutschman)

Describes people's attitudes towards very unlikely risks, and the implications for finance, insurance, and government policy. (by John Kay)

Discusses the role of game theory in business

Mock-interview of Star Trek's Spock incorporates rationality and common knowledge

Examines alternatives to the electoral college and the strategic voting implications of each.

John Nash biographer Sylvia Naser discusses the Game theorist's life and work.

The Greenhouse Effect results from a tragedy of the commons which can be overcome with tit-for-tat strategies.

Argues that even though employees free ride on union power by receiving benefits without being members, this is a valid check on union power.

The cornerstone article popularizing the notion of tragedy of the commons.