Two prisoners in separate interview rooms, each being questioned by a police officer

Figure of the week · Strategy and chance

The prisoner's dilemma. Why do two clever prisoners end up with the worst outcome?

For both's sake, they should stay silent. For their own sakes, they don't.

See the explanation See everything in Explore

About Numberfudge

Numbers you can see, explained so you understand. A new figure every week on probability, economics and maps, made by an economist in his spare time.

Read more about Numberfudge