Gefangenendilemma

Gefangenendilemma, also known as the Prisoner's Dilemma, is a fundamental concept in game theory that describes a situation where two individuals acting in their own self-interest do not produce the optimal outcome. It illustrates a conflict between individual rationality and collective rationality.

The classic scenario involves two suspects arrested for a crime. They are interrogated separately and cannot communicate. Each prisoner has two choices: to confess or to remain silent. If both remain silent, they both receive a minor sentence. If one confesses and the other remains silent, the confessor goes free, and the silent one receives a severe sentence. If both confess, they both receive a moderate sentence.

From an individual perspective, confessing is always the better option, regardless of what the other prisoner does. If the other prisoner remains silent, confessing leads to freedom instead of a minor sentence. If the other prisoner confesses, confessing leads to a moderate sentence instead of a severe one. Therefore, both prisoners rationally choose to confess.

However, if both prisoners confess, they both receive a moderate sentence, which is worse for both of them than if they had both remained silent and received only a minor sentence. This outcome highlights the dilemma: individual self-interest leads to a collectively suboptimal result. The Gefangenendilemma has applications in various fields, including economics, politics, and evolutionary biology, to explain cooperation and conflict.