David Kwok
Econ 201H
12/7/2017
The Dominant Swipe
The Relationship Between Game Theory and Modern Dating
The origins of Game Theory go all the way back to a letter written by Francis
Waldegrave in 1713 which proposed a mixed strategy solution to a two-person game named le
Her (Walker). Later, Charles Darwin pioneered the growth of this theory into the biology of
evolution as he applied this theoretic strategy in his argument for natural selection that equalizes
the gender equilibrium in nature. Game Theory was initially applied solely to two-person zero-
sum games where the pay-out matrix was symmetric. However, game theory continued to grow
and evolve and was eventually formally established by John von Neumann when he proved the
existence of mixed strategy equilibrium in two-person zero sum games and later in cooperative
games of multiple plays.
Today, the uses of Game Theory extend far beyond the realm of card games and are
commonly applied in economics, political science, and philosophy just to name a few. Game
Theory can be applied any time that strategic decisions are made that have an impact on other
participants. A more familiar application of the strategies of Game Theory can be seen in the
realm of modern dating. Game Theory can be directly applied to how we make decisions about
how to approach someone we’re attracted to, how men and women decide to swipe on Tinder,
how we choose to dress on dates, how to contact them after the date, etc. Because of this and our
inherent desire to only do things that will leave us better off, we are always in search of the
dominant strategy.
The most popular apps today seek to filter possible matches. Tinder and Bumble only
allow users to match with others who are nearby, to make it easier to meet in person. These
David Kwok
Econ 201H
12/7/2017
situations facilitate the strategic decision making and reflection on actions that not only effect
ourselves, but also at the very least, the recipients of those actions (potential matches).
The Nash Equilibrium, first introduced by Antoine Augustin Cournot and later coined by
John Forbes Nash Jr., is one of the most famous solution concepts of modern Game Theory
(Walker). A Nash Equilibrium occurs in a non-cooperative game in which none of the
participants would alter their decision-making strategy if they gained knowledge of the other
participant’s strategy. Because none of these participants are aware of the other’s decision, but
still knows that they can have either, conditions that could sustain the prisoner’s dilemma occurs.
Here each party will look to adapt a dominant strategy, a decision that is most beneficial to them
