Reinhard Selten Quotes & Sayings

When I finished high school, it was clear to me that I would study mathematics, even if I also considered economics and psychology. — Reinhard Selten

It's very productive scientifically; I often get some very good ideas for my research while hiking. — Reinhard Selten

I am addicted to research, let's say. — Reinhard Selten

The game theoretical analysis of the chain store game by backward induction is very easy and does not put any strain on the cognitive abilities of human beings. Even game theoretically untrained persons understand the backward induction argument without difficulty. Nevertheless, the conclusion is behaviorally unacceptable. The author was so worried about this contradiction that he felt three weeks of physical discomfort. — Reinhard Selten

When I was born, my father owned a business called a 'reading circle'; folders containing an assortment of magazines were lent to customers for one week, then recollected and lent out again. The older the folder, the lower was the fee. This was a flourishing branch of industry. — Reinhard Selten

I did several types of work about several investigations of application of game theory to international relations. — Reinhard Selten

If somebody is young and brilliant and imaginative, he will be listened to, even if he is a little unorthodox. — Reinhard Selten

I was born in Breslau on October 5th, 1930. At that time, Breslau, now called Wroclaw, belonged to Germany, and only German was spoken there. After the Second World War, Breslau became Polish, and the original German population was almost completely replaced by a Polish one. I have never visited Wroclaw after the war. — Reinhard Selten

My first contact with game theory was a popular article in 'Fortune Magazine' which I read in my last high school year. I was immediately attracted to the subject matter, and when I studied mathematics, I found the fundamental book by von Neumann and Morgenstern in the library and studied it. — Reinhard Selten