zero-sum game
zero-sum gameA game in which the participants are determining the distribution of a fixed total of costs or benefits between them. Market shares, for example, sum to 100 per cent by definition, so one firm's gain is another firm's loss. Zero-sum games are contrasted with positive-sum games, where gains for all participants are possible, for example international trade, and with negative-sum games, where the contest reduces the prize, for example war over the possession of resources.
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Oxford University Press Titles
