Performance of Strategies for the Iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma in a Natural Environment
J.F. van Tilburg (TU Delft - Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science)
N. Yorke-Smith – Mentor
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Abstract
In nature, all species have their own behaviors and strategies for survival. Some species survive and reproduce, while others become extinct. This paper proposes a model to simulate these strategies and test their performance. Natural behavior is represented as strategies for the iterated Prisoner's Dilemma (IPD). Agents wielding one of ten common IPD strategies are deployed in a natural spatial environment with biologically realistic conditions, where they continuously play Prisoner's Dilemma games. If the payoffs are well enough, agents are able to reproduce. The harshness of the environment is determined by three factors. The cost of living directly controls the climate and age limitation and energy limitation affect an agent's ability to reproduce. Another influencing factor is evolution, which gives agents the option to adopt different strategies in later stages. Harsh environments are defined by high costs of living, high reproduction costs and low life expectancy. Results show that cooperative strategies are more likely to survive and reproduce in harsh environments. Moreover, evolution is in the advantage of cooperative strategies, because many unsuccessful defectors evolve into cooperators.