Mathematics
Game Theory and the Mathematics of Strategic Decision-Making
Quick fact
In the famous Prisoner's Dilemma, two rational players who both choose their own best strategy end up with a worse outcome than if they had cooperated—a result that seems paradoxical but appears throughout economics, politics, and biology.
Why this is interesting
Have you ever made a decision that depended on what someone else might do—like choosing a route to avoid traffic or deciding whether to trust a friend? Game theory is the mathematics of exactly that kind of interdependence, and it can explain everything from board games to business rivalries.