KTH/SU Mathematics Colloquium

08-04-23

Peter Taylor, Queens University

The evolution of tag-based cooperation

In the field of evolutionary ecology there has been much interest recently in the evolution of cooperation in animal societies. Many mechanisms have been proposed to enhance the selective advantage of cooperation, and one of these is based on tag recognition. In this system, every individual has a tag, and you cooperate with anyone you meet who has the same tag. Does this work? There is of course the problem of cheaters, those who have the same tag as you but who don't reciprocate. A simple but powerful method known as inclusive fitness has been developed to analyze such questions. I will explain how it works and present a few sample results.