Collective Strategies with a Master-slave Mechanism Dominate in Spatial Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new collective strategy with a master-slave mechanism that outperforms traditional strategies in spatial iterated prisoner's dilemma, demonstrating how cooperation can emerge and persist among selfish agents.

Contribution

The study proposes the CSMSM strategy with a master-slave mechanism, showing its dominance over well-known strategies in spatial IPD and its role in fostering cooperation.

Findings

CSMSM defeats Tit-for-Tat and other strategies in spatial IPD.

A small cluster of CSMSMs can outperform non-collective strategies.

Cooperation emerges and persists among collective agents.

Abstract

How cooperation emerges and persists in a population of selfish agents is a fundamental question in evolutionary game theory. Our research shows that Collective Strategies with Master-Slave Mechanism (CSMSM) defeat Tit-for-Tat and other well-known strategies in spatial iterated prisoner's dilemma. A CSMSM identifies kin members by means of a handshaking mechanism. If the opponent is identified as non-kin, a CSMSM will always defect. Once two CSMSMs meet, they play master and slave roles. A mater defects and a slave cooperates in order to maximize the master's payoff. CSMSM outperforms non-collective strategies in spatial IPD even if there is only a small cluster of CSMSMs in the population. The existence and performance of CSMSM in spatial iterated prisoner's dilemma suggests that cooperation first appears and persists in a group of collective agents.