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Non-Zero-Sum Game

A game in which the players' payoffs are not fixed to sum to a constant — both players can gain together, both can lose together, or one can gain without the other losing an equal amount. Most of the situations this course studies (cooperation, coordination, commitment) are non-zero-sum, deliberately correcting the popular image of game theory as a manual for zero-sum combat.

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Vocabulary from all courses. Terms are cross-referenced to show where each concept appears.