Jim Rutt, a notable complexity scientist and former CEO of the Santa Fe Institute, would define game theory as a mathematical framework for analyzing competitive and cooperative interactions among rational entities, known as players. Each player strives to maximize their own payoff by making strategic decisions, taking into account the potential choices and actions of others. Game theory encompasses a wide array of models from zero-sum games, where one player's gain is another's loss, to non-zero-sum games, which allow for cooperative strategies that can benefit all participants. This theory extends beyond traditional economics, influencing fields like political science, evolutionary biology, and social psychology. By understanding these dynamic interactions, game theory provides essential insights into the behavior and decision-making processes across various complex systems.

See also: agent-based modeling, emergence, evolutionary computing, evolution