Date of Award
2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelors
Department
Natural Sciences
First Advisor
Hamid, Fahmida
Area of Concentration
Computer Science
Abstract
The prisoner’s dilemma and its variations offer profound insights into conflict and cooperation, captivating researchers across disciplines. Yet, a mutation of this classic game involving physical agents in a two-dimensional discrete environment remains largely unexplored. To explore this new facet of the prisoner’s dilemma, I developed a computer simulation using C++, Python, Box2D, and SFML that can simulate up to 1000 agents, uses deterministic, reproducible physics, and provides users with a complete history of the results. I designed this tool with the intention to discover if movement strategies were more impactful than gameplay decision rules and see if Tit For Tat remains robust in a simulated physical environment. This thesis details the design and development process of the program, along with an analysis of some of the program’s results. This tool promises to open new avenues in the analysis of prisoner dilemma variants involving more dynamic settings.
Recommended Citation
Unfug, Boland, "THE PRISON YARD DILEMMA:
HOW AGENTS COOPERATE IN A 2-D SPACE" (2025). Theses & ETDs. 6645.
https://digitalcommons.ncf.edu/theses_etds/6645