MORAL CALCULATIONS: Game Theory, Logic, and Human Frailty.

Mero, Laszlo.

ISBN 10: 0387984194 / ISBN 13: 9780387984193

Published by Copernicus,, 1998

About this Item

Crisp, bright hardback 1st printing of English edition translated by Anna C. Gosi-Greguss; edited by David Kramer. Shiny, crisp DJ with minimal shelfwear. NOT library discard. ;

Seller Inventory # 46451

Bibliographic Details

• Title: MORAL CALCULATIONS: Game Theory, Logic, and Human Frailty.
• Publisher: Copernicus,
• Publication Date: 1998
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0387984194
• ISBN 13: 9780387984193
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: VG
• Dust Jacket Condition: VG

About this title

Synopsis

Are people ever rational? Consider this: You auction off a one-dollar bill to the highest bidder, but you set the rules so that the second highest bidder also has to pay the amount of his last bid, even though he gets nothing. Would people ever enter such an auction? Not only do they, but according to Martin Shubik, the game's inventor, the average winning bid (for a dollar, remember) is $3.40. Many winners report that they bid so high only because their opponent "went completely crazy." This game lies at the intersection of three subjects of eternal fascination: human psychology, morality, and John von Neumann's game theory. Hungarian game-theorist Laszlo Mero introduces us to the basics of game theory, including such concepts as zero-sum games, Prisoner's Dilemma and the origins of altruism; shows how game theory is applicable to fields ranging from physics to politics; and explores the role of rational thinking in the context of many different kinds of thinking. This fascinating, urbane book will interest everyone who wonders what mathematics can tell us about the human condition.

About the Author

Laszlo Mero is a mathematician living in Hungary, where Moral Calculations was a national bestseller. His latest project is a computer game he is developing with Erno Rubik, the inventor of the Rubik's Cube.