Comment by ethbro
6 years ago
I read a study on international power polarities, and they noted that truly independent tripolar was among the most stable configurations from a game theory perspective.
Broadly summarizing, the potential for the remaining tie-breaker to defect to either side tends to keep participants honest, even if they're bitterly opposed.
After thousands of online games of RISK, I concur.
Often you find yourself in a situation where nobody can win, but anyone can choose who wins if they commit to losing.
Unfortunately, it's rare all three participants realize the situation.
Any chance you have the link to the study? That sounds really interesting. Maybe even worth a post of its own on HN?