World

Great Strategy

Israeli professor shares Nobel Prize for his game studies.

Dan Baron
Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Jerusalem
t may sound uncanny, but an
Israeli has educated the world
on conflict resolution.
Such was the praise heaped on
Robert Aumann, the Hebrew
University professor named Oct.
10 as co-winner of the 2005
Nobel Prize in economics.
Aumann, 75, and American
scientist Thomas Schelling
"enhanced our understanding of
conflict and cooperation through
game-theory analysis:' the Royal
Swedish Academy of Sciences
said in a statement. The two will
share the $1.3 million prize.

I

Game theory is the science of
strategy, the study of how various
rival groups — whether business
colleagues or warring parties —
can interact to secure an ideal
outcome. Aumann specialized in
"repeated games:' analyzing con-
flict over time.
"I am very moved by this
honor:' he told reporters outside
his office at the Hebrew
University's Center for
Rationality. "I think credit should
also go to members of the school
of thought who have helped to
make Israel perhaps the world's
No. 1 superpower when it comes
to game theory."
Aumann, who is religiously
observant, was born in Frankfurt

but moved to the United States
with his family in 1938. He
earned degrees at City College of
New York and the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, emigrat-
ing to Israel in 1956.
Aumann is the second Israeli
to win the Nobel for economics.
Two Israeli biochemists shared
the Nobel Prize for chemistry last
year, and former Prime Ministers
Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres and
Menachem Begin have won the
Nobel Peace Prize.
"His work is important and a
major contribution to the world
of economics and to theory:'
Hebrew University President
Menachem Megidor told Israel
Radio about Aumann.

Tzedakah
Efforts

Schelling, 84, is a University of
Maryland lecturer recognized for
his application of game theory to
issues of global security.
Aumann's work has focused on
the more abstract principle of
"repeated games:' or conflict that
lasts over extended period.
In a telephone conversation
with the academy, he suggested
that this could give insight into
Israel's struggle for survival in
the. Middle East. "I do hope that
perhaps some game theory can
be used and be part of this solu-
tion," he said.
But Aumann, who lost a son
during Israel's invasion of
Lebanon in 1982, said an end to
the conflict with the Palestinians

Robert Aumann

was far off. "It's been going on for
at least 80 years and as far as I
can see it is going to go on for at
least another 80 years. I don't see
any end to this one, I'm sorry to
say;' he told reporters. ❑

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Money desperately needed to help
victims of natural disasters.

Earthquake Relief

U.S. Jewish groups are collecting dona-
tions for victims of the earthquake that
struck Pakistan, India and Afghanistan.
Donations through the American Jewish
Joint Distribution Committee should be
made payable to JDC: Pakistan Earthquake
Relief and can be made to the group at Box
321, 847A Second Ave., New York, N.Y.,
10017.
Donations through the American Jewish
World Service can be made by sending
checks to the group at 45 W 36 St., New
York, N.Y., 10018, or online at www.ajws.org .
At least 30,000 people died as a result of
Saturday's earthquake.

October 13 . 2005

Hurricane Relief

Local synagogues, organizations
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nities for contributing to victims of
Hurricane Katrina:

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and Alex Young of Zingerman's Roadhouse
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Cost of the extravaganza will be $150 per
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American Red Cross for its Katrina Relief
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information about the meal, contact

Relief Efforts on page 42

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