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Games of Life Karl Sigmund (Professor, Institute of Mathematics, Professor, Institute of Mathematics, University of Vienna)

Games of Life By Karl Sigmund (Professor, Institute of Mathematics, Professor, Institute of Mathematics, University of Vienna)

Summary

This study of genetics, population ecology, evolution and animal behaviour explains why scientific observations and insights can be structured as the rules of a survival game, and what happens when they are assembled on a computer or in the mind and allowed to run.

Games of Life Summary

Games of Life: Explorations in Ecology, Evolution, and Behaviour by Karl Sigmund (Professor, Institute of Mathematics, Professor, Institute of Mathematics, University of Vienna)

Life is often a matter of gambles, pay-offs, and trade-offs, just like a game. This book takes us on a tour through the games and computer simulations that are helping us to understand the ecology, evolution, and behaviour of real life - from cat and mouse to cellular automata, from the battle of the sexes to artificial life, from poker to the prisoner's dilemma. No other book explains so well why scientific observations and insights can be structured as the rules of a survival game, and what happens when they are assembled on a computer or in the mind and allowed to run. With a delightful personal style, the author specifically looks at genetics, population ecology, evolution, and animal behaviour and discusses the often surprising outcomes when the name of the game is life.

Games of Life Reviews

'Karl Sigmund's Games of Life is a beautifully written and, considering its relative brevity, amazingly comprehensive survey of past and current thinking in "mathematical" evolution. Just as games (at least, the human variety) are supposed to be fun, so too is Games of Life - the witty section headings, the relaxed style and the clarity of the explanations make the book as enjoyable to read as a Marx Brothers film (to which there is a reference in the book) is to watch.' Times Higher Education Supplement
'I would place Sigmund's book somehwere between good and excellent ... The informal style of the book is brilliant ... the book is a success.' A. Kondrashov, Cornell University, TREE, vol. 9, no. 3, 1994
'an excellent introduction to what theoretical bioliogists get up to in trying to understand evolutionary and ecological ideas' Andrew Pomiankowski, University College, London, Nature, Vol. 370, 1994

Table of Contents

Introduction: Mendel's legacy ; 1. Self-replicating automata and artificial life ; 2. Population ecology and chaos ; 3. Random drift and chain reactions ; 4. Population genetics ; 5. Evolution and sex ; 6. Evolutionary game theory ; 7. Reciprocity and the evolution of cooperation ; 8. Playback ; Endnotes ; Bibliography ; Index

Additional information

GOR001252701
9780198547839
0198547838
Games of Life: Explorations in Ecology, Evolution, and Behaviour by Karl Sigmund (Professor, Institute of Mathematics, Professor, Institute of Mathematics, University of Vienna)
Used - Very Good
Paperback
Oxford University Press
1993-09-09
256
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

Customer Reviews - Games of Life