Prisoner's dilemma.

The prisoner’s dilemma is a concept in decision analytics with applications in business, economics, and political science. It holds that an optimal individual outcome cannot always be achieved when two people or organizations act to advance their own self-interests at the expense of the other. Presented as a paradox, the classic construction of the prisoner’s dilemma examines a hypothetical situation in which two parties are given the choice to safeguard their own interests at the detriment of the other party. Following the consequences of each decision through to their logical conclusions, the prisoner’s dilemma results in both parties finding themselves in a less desirable position than they would have been in had they elected to work together.John Forbes Nash, American mathematician and winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics 1994, at a symposium of game theory in Germany, 2006.Elke Wetzig (Elya) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)] Using the exchange of briefcases (cash for diamonds) as an example of the Prisoner's Dilemma, potential game outcomes are illustrated, depending on cooperation or defection (handing over an empty bag).Christopher X Jon Jensen (CXJJensen) & Greg Riestenberg [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]