Math & Stats Colloquium Series - Mar. 13, 2026 (Dr. Kevin Zumbrun)

Speaker: Dr. Kevin Zumbrun

Affiliation: Indiana University

Title: Continuous guts poker, generalized recursive games, and synchronous vs. asynchronous coalitions in multi-player games

Abstract: We present a set of results on continuous Guts poker and general recursive and multiplayer games, obtained over three years of Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) projects. One novelty is that Guts poker is a generalized recursive game (gRG) in the sense that it is a stochastic (repeated) game for which the stakes vary from round to round. A second is that it can be completely solved, even in a multiplayer setting. Also, it is great fun! The outcomes lead to interesting questions on "synchronous'' vs. "asynchronous" coalitions, as may be illustrated by a simple 3-player version of the well-known rock paper scissors game.