Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 21, 2026

The HoneyComb Paradigm for Research on Collective Human Behavior
Published on: January 19, 2019
Effect of space in the game "war of attrition"
Philip Gerlee1, Torbjörn Lundh
1Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, S-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden. gerlee@chalmers.se
Abstract:
Spatial dynamics has in many cases been invoked as a mechanism that can promote the evolution of coexistence and cooperation, although the precise conditions for this to occur have not yet been characterised. In an effort to address this question we have analyzed an alternative version of the theoretical game "war of attrition," which exhibits unusual behavior: The well-mixed system exhibits quasistationary coexistence and a relaxation time that scales exponentially with the system size, while the spatial system shows a relaxation time that is considerably smaller and scales with a power α≈1.4 of the system size. Further, the spatial system exhibits a first-order phase transition in the strategy distribution at a consolation prize of k≈1/3. Close to this point the relaxation time diverges with an exponent γ≈1.2. This analysis shows that the effect of space is highly dependent on the type of game considered.
Related Concept Videos
Space Trusses
At the core of a space truss lies the fundamental unit known as the tetrahedron. This structure is composed of six members that form a three-dimensional shape...
Principle of Equivalence
Robbers Cave
Social Facilitation
Rocket Propulsion in Gravitational Field - II
A rocket's acceleration depends on three major factors, consistent with the equation for the...
Social Loafing
