Move by nature

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In Game theory a move by nature (aka God's move or nature move) is a decision or move in an extensive form game made by a player who has no strategic interests in the outcome. The effect is to add a player, 'Nature' whose practical role is to act as a random number generator. For instance, a game of Poker requires a dealer to choose which cards a player is dealt, the dealer plays the role of the Nature player

Fig.1 shows a signaling game which begins with a move by nature. Moves by nature are an integral part of games of incomplete information.

v • d • e Topics in game theory Definitions Normal form game · Extensive form game · Cooperative game · Information set · Preference Equilibrium concepts Nash equilibrium · Subgame perfection · Bayesian-Nash · Perfect Bayesian · Trembling hand · Proper equilibrium · Epsilon-equilibrium · Correlated equilibrium · Sequential equilibrium · Quasi-perfect equilibrium · Evolutionarily stable strategy · Risk dominance · Pareto efficiency Strategies Dominant strategies · Pure strategy · Mixed strategy · Tit for tat · Grim trigger · Collusion Classes of games Symmetric game · Perfect information · Dynamic game · Repeated game · Signaling game · Cheap talk · Zero-sum game · Mechanism design · Stochastic game · Nontransitive game Games Prisoner's dilemma · Traveler's dilemma · Coordination game · Chicken · Volunteer's dilemma · Dollar auction · Battle of the sexes · Stag hunt · Matching pennies · Ultimatum game · Minority game · Rock-paper-scissors · Pirate game · Dictator game · Public goods game · Bargaining problem · Blotto games  · War of attrition Theorems Minimax theorem · Purification theorems · Folk theorem · Revelation principle · Arrow's theorem