Evolutionary games and computer simulations.

TLDR

The Prisoner's Dilemma, a classic model for cooperation, has been extensively studied via computer experiments, laboratory work, and analytical methods, yet digital simulations differ from real experiments in fundamental ways. The study questions whether the differences between digital simulations and real experiments undermine the validity of cellular automata models for studying cooperation. The authors examine the impact of space‑time granularity by comparing simulations with discrete versus continuous time. They find that discrete‑time simulations produce markedly different patterns of territoriality and cooperation compared to continuous‑time simulations.

Abstract

The Prisoner's Dilemma has long been considered the paradigm for studying the emergence of cooperation among selfish individuals. Because of its importance, it has been studied through computer experiments as well as in the laboratory and by analytical means. However, there are important differences between the way a system composed of many interacting elements is simulated by a digital machine and the manner in which it behaves when studied in real experiments. In some instances, these disparities can be marked enough so as to cast doubt on the implications of cellular automata-type simulations for the study of cooperation in social systems. In particular, if such a simulation imposes space-time granularity, then its ability to describe the real world may be compromised. Indeed, we show that the results of digital simulations regarding territoriality and cooperation differ greatly when time is discrete as opposed to continuous.