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Nash Equilibrium

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A Nash equilibrium is a pair of strategies, one for each player, in which each strategy is a best response to other. These represent the likely outcome of the game. According to Roger B. Myerson, “If we can predict the behavior of all the players in such a game, then our prediction must be a Nash equilibrium, or else it would violate this assumption of intelligent rational individual behavior. That is, if our predicted behavior does not satisfy the conditions for Nash equilibrium, then there must be at least one individual whose expected welfare could be improved simply by re-educating him to more effectively pursue his own best interests, without any other social change.” The above argument does not prove that Nash equilibrium should be the only methodological basis for analysis of social institutions. But it does explain why studying Nash equilibria should be a fruitful part of the critical analysis of almost any kind of social institution.

The prisoners dilemma is one of the best examples of Nash Equilibrium.

| | Jack | | | | C | NC | Tom | C | -10,-10 | 0,-20 | | NC | -20,0 | -5,-5 | | | | |

*Numbers represent years in prison

If every player in a game plays his dominant pure strategy (assuming every player has a dominant pure strategy), then the outcome will be a Nash equilibrium.According to the above game both players know that 10 years is better than 20 and 0 years is better than 5; therefore, C is their dominant strategy and they will both choose C . Since both players chose C, (10,10) is the outcome and also the Nash Equilibrium. To check whether this is a Nash Equilibrium, check whether either player would like to deviate from this position. Jack wouldn't want to deviate, because if he chose NC and Tom stayed at C, Jack would increase his prison time by 10 years.

According to me Nash equilibrium is very important as it

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