Cooperation in a generalized age-structured spatial game

Abstract

The emergence and prevalence of cooperative behavior within a group of selfish individuals remains a puzzle for evolutionary game theory precisely because it conflicts directly with the central idea of natural selection. Accordingly, in recent years, the search for an understanding of how cooperation can be stimulated, even when it conflicts with individual interest, has intensified. We investigate the emergence of cooperation in an age-structured evolutionary spatial game. In it, players age with time and the payoff that they receive after each round depends on their age. We find that the outcome of the game is strongly influenced by the type of distribution used to modify the payoffs according to the age of each player. The results show that, under certain circumstances, cooperators may not only survive but dominate the population.

Keywords: Age-structured population; Cooperation; Evolutionary games; Game theory; Prisioner’s dillema.