Prisoner's Dilemma: Reflections and Recollections

The author traces the roots of social trap situations (of which PRISONER'S DILEMMA is a prime example) to A. A. Cournot's duopoly model. The discovery of the game in 1950 has led to a wave of theoretical and experimental investigations, which still continues, shedding light on important aspects of social behavior and on the evolution of cooperation in the biosphere.