The LSE Department of Mathematics: Centre for Discrete and Applicable Mathematics

Mini-Symposium on Games and Dynamics

On 21 April, the LSE Centre for Discrete and Applicable Mathematics (CDAM) held a mini-symposium on Games and Dynamics.

The topic concerns mathematical models of the evolution of populations over time, in the framework of evolutionary game theory. The ‘game’ specifies a list of possible strategies that an individual can adopt, and how any two strategies fare against each other, modelled by a payoff number. The proportion of how many individuals adopt a respective strategy varies over time, depending on how well a strategy does against the current population mix. This is specified by the dynamics.

Speakers at the mini-symposium were the prominent evolutionary and mathematical game theorists Josef Hofbauer (UCL), Sylvain Sorin (Paris), Bernhard von Stengel (LSE) and Jorgen Weibull (Stockholm School of Economics), and two PhD students. One theme was that for certain games, common dynamics can only be captured by very coarse equilibrium concepts, showing that evolution and rational behaviour may lead to different outcomes.

Participants came from LSE, London and other parts of the UK. There was even possible inspiration for comedy - one attendant was primate researcher and comedian Carole Jahme. She may choose to spoof her observations as well as use them seriously for her show on sexual selection that combines games, science, and comedy. For further details on the mini-symposium see: www.cdam.lse.ac.uk/Seminar/minisymposium.html 

Bernhard von Stengel, May 2005.