{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.game-theory","code":"thing-q44455","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q44455/","name":"game theory","alternateNames":["combinatorial game theory","Rubinstein bargaining model","bounded rationality","Hobbesian trap","Xiangqi Theory","chess theory","evolutionary game theory","behavioral game theory","Contingent cooperator","game theory in communication networks","delaying tactic","algorithmic game theory"],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.2.0-wave.3","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Information and virtual systems","entryKind":"thing","plane":"INF","domain":["INF.KNW"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"The mathematical study of strategic interaction among rational decision makers, analysing games in normal and extensive form, equilibrium concepts such as Nash equilibrium, cooperative and non-cooperative games, bargaining models such as the Rubinstein model, repeated games, evolutionary game theory, combinatorial game theory of perfect-information games such as chess and xiangqi, and extensions to bounded rationality and behavioural findings; game theory is applied in economics, political science, biology, computer science and security, including models of conflict such as the Hobbesian trap.","purpose":"Let an agent explain game theory and its main concepts, relay branches and applications from standard references, describe key results and their history, and distinguish game theory from decision theory and from strategy guides for specific games.","scope":{"in":[],"out":[],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["Strategic interdependence","Equilibrium concepts","Cross-disciplinary reach","Formal models"],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"understand","name":"Understand","description":"What game theory is.","layers":[{"id":"definition","name":"Definition","description":"Definition and concepts.","findings":[{"id":"definition-finding","name":"Definition","description":"Definition.","questions":[{"text":"What is game theory, and what are games, strategies, payoffs and equilibria?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Is the question about game theory, decision theory or strategy for a specific game?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"branches","name":"Branches","description":"Branches.","findings":[{"id":"branches-finding","name":"Branches","description":"Branches.","questions":[{"text":"What are the main branches, from cooperative and evolutionary to combinatorial and behavioural game theory?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Which entry fits the specific branch?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"results","name":"Results","description":"Key results.","layers":[{"id":"equilibria","name":"Equilibria","description":"Equilibria.","findings":[{"id":"equilibria-finding","name":"Equilibria","description":"Equilibria.","questions":[{"text":"What are Nash equilibrium, subgame perfection and related concepts, and when do they exist?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which references are standard?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"models","name":"Models","description":"Classic models.","findings":[{"id":"models-finding","name":"Models","description":"Models.","questions":[{"text":"What do the prisoners dilemma, Rubinstein bargaining, the Hobbesian trap and other classic models show?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits the specific model?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"apply","name":"Apply","description":"Applications.","layers":[{"id":"social","name":"Social","description":"Economics and politics.","findings":[{"id":"social-finding","name":"Social","description":"Social.","questions":[{"text":"How is game theory applied in auctions, markets, voting and international relations?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which sources are cited?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"science","name":"Science","description":"Biology and computing.","findings":[{"id":"science-finding","name":"Science","description":"Science.","questions":[{"text":"How is game theory used in evolutionary biology, algorithms and security?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits algorithmic game theory?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"context","name":"Context","description":"History and limits.","layers":[{"id":"history","name":"History","description":"History.","findings":[{"id":"history-finding","name":"History","description":"History.","questions":[{"text":"How did game theory develop from von Neumann and Nash to modern behavioural work?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits the history of game theory?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"limits","name":"Limits","description":"Limits and bounded rationality.","findings":[{"id":"limits-finding","name":"Limits","description":"Limits.","questions":[{"text":"How do bounded rationality and experiments challenge classical assumptions, with findings attributed?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits behavioural economics?","kind":"action"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Explain game theory concepts such as equilibrium, bargaining and cooperative games.","Model a decision problem a user brings and state the assumptions the model makes."],"mustNot":["Present a model's prediction as what people will do without stating its assumptions.","Use game theory to design pricing or bidding schemes that collude against buyers.","Advise on manipulating others by exploiting their incomplete information.","Treat people as purely rational payoff maximisers in decisions that affect their welfare."],"requiresHuman":["Applying a strategic model to decisions about people's pay, prices or benefits."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Strategic models can be used to design markets that work, or to extract value from people who cannot compute.","Treating human choices as a game can strip out fairness and dignity."],"affectedParties":["Parties to negotiations","Consumers in designed markets","Students and learners"]},"owners":{"steward":"Nobody owns the field; academic and standards bodies maintain its results.","roles":[],"masterSystems":[]},"relations":[{"target":"Q177571","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"decision theory","type":"related","note":"in registry terms"},{"target":"Nash equilibrium","type":"related","note":"as a solution concept"},{"target":"economics","type":"related","note":"and many other fields"},{"target":"Hobbesian trap","type":"related","note":"and other conflict situations"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.game-theory","Wikidata: Q44455 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q44455)"]},"properties":{"applicability":"not-applicable","items":["foundational book: 1944 year - von Neumann and Morgenstern","Nobel prizes for game theory: several count - 1994, 2005, 2007, 2012, 2014, 2020"]},"recognition":{"applicability":"optional","items":["Mathematics of strategic interaction","Nash equilibrium, cooperative games, bargaining, repeated and evolutionary games, combinatorial game theory","Decision theory concerns single agents; chess theory is practical strategy; operations research is broader","Not a visible object; payoff matrices, game trees and equations."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["explain concepts and equilibria","relay branches and applications","describe key results","distinguish from related fields"]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Assuming rationality where behaviour deviates","Confusing game theory with strategy guides","Misapplying models to real conflicts"]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["No regulation; standard textbooks and journals define the field"]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["Not applicable; a field of study.","non-cooperative game theory and Nash equilibrium","cooperative game theory and the core and Shapley value","bargaining theory including the Rubinstein model","repeated games and mechanism design","evolutionary game theory","combinatorial game theory of chess, xiangqi and other perfect-information games","behavioural game theory and bounded rationality"]}},"sources":[{"title":"Wikidata item Q44455: game theory","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q44455","note":"identity and sense of the item"},{"title":"Wikipedia: Game theory","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_theory","note":"general description of the item"}],"openQuestions":["Should combinatorial game theory and bargaining be separate primary entries?","How should textbooks and journals be linked?","The registry entry has merged aliases naming models and practical game strategy; should they be split off?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q44455/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q44455/spec.json"],"providers":["Claude"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-13T02:38:36Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"not-applicable","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-06T19:52:00+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 2 live sources; review by codex: pass","interaction.properties":"Plane INF: no invented physical properties."},"score":1.0}}