• Fair Division: Game Theory and The Batman

    edited by Alexander Becker on September 24, 2008 | Link

    In game theory you do not trust someone because they are your friend. You trust them because it is in their self-interest to help you.

    Now, that you have all seen The Dark Knight, please take a closer look at the games of the Joker.

    • The Dark Knight and Game Theory --

      The Joker's final act as criminal mastermind and agent of nihilism (or, seemingly, to show Gotham city that we are all Homo Economicus when the structure of the game forces us to be) involves two ferries filled with people. The first ferry is filled with normal, law abiding citizens while the second ferry is filled with the population of Gotham Prison. The Joker, doing so without prior knowledge of the passengers and city officials, wired the ships with powerful explosives such that their explosion would destroy the entire ship and everyone aboard. No single individual is allowed to escape. Each ship is given a detonator for the other ferry. The use of the detonator saves the ship while killing everyone aboard the opposing ship.

    • Game Theory in The Dark Knight: A Critical Review of the Opening Scene (Spoilers) --

      Fair division is about understanding incentives and strategic thought. How can you trust self-interested people? How can you achieve cooperative outcomes with diametrically opposed motives? Such ideas have been applied to important areas such as nuclear disarmament and labor negotiations. But they are even applicable to mundane situations, like dividing up restaurant bills fairly.

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