Reading
CS 420/594: Flake, ch. 18 (Natural & Artificial Computation)
CS 594: Bar-Yam, ch. 2 (Neural Networks I), sections 2.1-2.2 (pp. 295-322)

Tit-for-Two-Tats
More forgiving than TFT
Wait for two successive defections before punishing
Beats TFT in a noisy environment
E.g., an unintentional defection will lead TFTs into endless cycle of retaliation
May be exploited by feigning accidental defection

Effects of Many Kinds of Noise Have Been Studied
Misimplementation noise
Misperception noise
noisy channels
Stochastic effects on payoffs
General conclusions:
sufficiently little noise Þ generosity is best
greater noise Þ generosity avoids unnecessary conflict but invites exploitation

More Characteristics
of Successful Strategies
Should be a generalist (robust)
i.e. do sufficiently well in wide variety of environments
Should do well with its own kind
since successful strategies will propagate
Should be cognitively simple
Should be evolutionary stable strategy
i.e. resistant to invasion by other strategies

KantÕs Categorical Imperative
ÒAct on maxims that can at the same time have for their object themselves as universal laws of nature.Ó

Ecological & Spatial Models
Ecological Model
What if more successful strategies spread in population at expense of less successful?
Models success of programs as fraction of total population
Fraction of strategy = probability random program obeys this strategy

Variables
Pi(t) = probability = proportional population of strategy i at time t
Si(t) = score achieved by strategy i
Rij(t) = relative score achieved by strategy i playing against strategy j over many rounds
fixed (not time-varying) for now

Computing Score of a Strategy
Let n = number of strategies in ecosystem
Compute score achieved by strategy i:

Updating Proportional Population
Some Simulations
Usual Axelrod payoff matrix
200 rounds per step

Demonstration Simulation
60% ALL-C
20% RAND
10% ALL-D, TFT

Collectively Stable Strategy
Let w = probability of future interactions
Suppose cooperation based on reciprocity established
Then no one can do better than TFT provided:

ÒWin-Stay, Lose-ShiftÓ Strategy
Win-stay, lose-shift strategy:
begin cooperating
if other cooperates, continue current behavior
if other defects, switch to opposite behavior
Called PAV (because suggests Pavlovian learning)

Simulation without Noise
20% each
no noise

Effects of Noise
Consider effects of noise or other sources of error in response
TFT:
cycle of alternating defections (CD, DC)
broken only by another error
PAV:
eventually self-corrects (CD, DC, DD, CC)
can exploit ALL-C in noisy environment
Noise added into computation of Rij(t)

Simulation with Noise
20% each
0.5% noise

Spatial Effects
Previous simulation assumes that each agent is equally likely to interact with each other
So strategy interactions are proportional to fractions in population
More realistically, interactions with ÒneighborsÓ are more likely
ÒNeighborÓ can be defined in many ways
Neighbors are more likely to use the same strategy

Spatial Simulation
Toroidal grid
Agent interacts only with eight neighbors
Agent adopts strategy of most successful neighbor
Ties favor current strategy

Typical Simulation (t = 1)
Typical Simulation (t = 5)
Typical Simulation (t = 10)
Typical Simulation (t = 10)
Zooming In
Typical Simulation (t = 20)
Typical Simulation (t = 50)
Typical Simulation (t = 50)
Zoom In
Simulation of Spatial
Iterated Prisoners Dilemma
Get sipd simulator

SIPD Without Noise
Conclusions: Spatial IPD
Small clusters of cooperators can exist in hostile environment
Parasitic agents can exist only in limited numbers
Stability of cooperation depends on expectation of future interaction
Adaptive cooperation/defection beats unilateral cooperation or defection

Additional Bibliography
von Neumann, J., & Morgenstern, O. Theory of Games and Economic Behavior, Princeton, 1944.
Morgenstern, O. ÒGame Theory,Ó in Dictionary of the History of Ideas, Charles Scribners, 1973, vol. 2, pp. 263-75.
Axelrod, R. The Evolution of Cooperation.  Basic Books, 1984.
Axelrod, R., & Dion, D. ÒThe Further Evolution of Cooperation,Ó Science 242 (1988): 1385-90.