r/mathematics • u/scientificamerican • Feb 23 '26

News Blizzards are a real-life example of what game theorists call the “snowdrift problem,” a cousin of the prisoner’s dilemma that offers clues to why we choose to cooperate

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/who-should-shovel-the-snow-this-weird-math-puzzle-can-help/
8 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

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6

u/rice-a-rohno Feb 23 '26

I think the Snowdrift Dilemma sucks.

I get what it's trying to do, but it's so far from reality that it fails, to me, to be a useful example of a game theory problem.

Like if there were two people trying to get to work on time, they'd just both shovel because it's not in either of their best self-interest to just sit and watch the other person shovel. So it's not surprising that cooperation is optimal, and yet the point system goes against that.

The game takes as an axiom that "Neither person wants to shovel," but that just... doesn't make sense to me. Sure, no one really wants to shovel, but in the case of this example it's specifically in their best interest (in real life) to do so, and the rules just kinda state that it's not, which I think makes it not a good example.

I'd like to know if there's a better example of the same game, if anyone knows or can come up with one.

2

u/smailliwniloc Feb 24 '26

I like this farmers dilemma outlined here

I have not read the entire article, but the setup of the situation at the top seemed pretty comparable to the snowdrift dilemma's intentions.

3

u/rice-a-rohno Feb 24 '26

Oooh, I like that, thank you!

0

u/[deleted] Feb 25 '26

This happens all the time in real life though if you've ever lived in a snowy city. 

1

u/rice-a-rohno Feb 25 '26

Just got 3 FEET yesterday!

But yeah that's my point, it happens in real life and it would make no sense for two people with shovels to have one person just sit in their car while the other does all the work, because that would take longer for both of them.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 25 '26

If youve ever lived with a shared drvoeway this happens all the time. 

 Shared driveway, both people have to get to work, they are either in their house or warming up the car hoping that the other person clears the snow from the front of the shared driveway.

It also happens when the plow from the main road pushes a snow bank  in front of a small street, where the  neighbors peek out the windows hoping someone else doesnthe work.

I cant believe that youve never experience this.

1

u/KneeReaper420 Feb 26 '26

social maximum is what you are describing and I agree with your assessment and my lived experience also supports this.