Dynamical Systems Theory compared to Game Theory: The case of Salamis's battle

TL;DR

This paper introduces a nonlinear discrete dynamical system model for the Battle of Salamis, comparing its strategic insights with traditional Game Theory to better understand ancient naval conflict dynamics.

Contribution

It presents a novel nonlinear discrete model for historical battle analysis and compares its strategic predictions with those of Game Theory.

Findings

The model accurately captures strategic behaviors in the battle.

Comparison shows similarities and differences between dynamical systems and game-theoretic approaches.

Provides new insights into ancient naval warfare strategies.

Abstract

In this paper, we present an innovative non-linear discrete system trying to model the historic battle of Salamis between Greeks and Persians. September 2020 marks the anniversary of the 2500 years that have passed since this famous naval battle, which took place in late September 480 B.C. The suggested model describes very well the most effective strategic behavior between two participants during a battle (or a war). Moreover, we compare the results of the Dynamical Systems analysis to Game Theory, considering this conflict as a "war game".