Zero-Sum Games

Zero-Sum Games are scenarios in Game Theory where one player’s gain is exactly balanced by another’s loss, with a total payoff sum of zero.

Definition

For players \(A\) and \(B\), if \(u_A\) and \(u_B\) are payoffs:

Examples

In chess, one player’s victory (+1) is the other’s defeat (-1). Poker is another classic example.

Strategies

Players use minimax strategies to minimize their maximum loss, often leading to a saddle point.