"Just because you understand the mechanics of something does not make it any less magical"

- Vampire Bill, True Blood

Reflections on Game Theory... except it's no game where it is...

A few years ago I did not even know what the hell this subject meant (not that I know much about it now!) - but the thing that strikes one when one does learn a teensy-wee bit about this is that it applies to virtually ALL areas of our lives - economics, philosophy, psychology, etc etc etc - basically anything that involves so much as a thought process... Over time, however, I have come to realize two quintessential areas it applies to - the first being War... Indeed, foot soldiers arrange themselves while attacking in a manner as would be predicted as optimal by game-theoretic methods; this was shown in an excellent manner in the movie "Equilibrium", where the way in which a Tetragrammaton cleric was supposed to attack in battle was a completely mechanical matter to be perfected by rote learning - because the angular distribution of the attackers was something that could extremely accurately, if not deterministically, be predicted by game theory; So also would people in a crowd distribute themselves to maximally avoid damage in a manner quite decently predicted by game theory in the once unlikely event a terrorist with a gun popped up in their midst...

Why am I writing this article? Well... people who follow my writing (oh wait! I do not HAVE a regular writing something that people could follow) know that I do not write unless A> I am exulting with jubilation, or B> I am coldly boiling with rage... (That is almost a lie - a certain someone does see me write to them frequently, reason or no reason, but then I would contend that that is because they keep me in a perpetual state of jubilation; that writing is also long overdue - and this heinous error would be rectified soon!) - unfortunately I must break to you that this is because of the latter (and it's not an oxymoron - I believe we have all had moments when we have burned coldly)...

The second area I made reference to is politics... and that in turn is related to war... the decisions people calling the shots take while a war is waging is also a matter of game theory - their decisions are to be made in a manner optimized for securing the maximum number of lives on their own side... Uncanny is it not? How accurately does cold rational science done on paper quantify both the rational and irrational that the world harbors (we see such miracles happen every day - I especially as a physicist... but in the mundane nature of these truly marvelous miracles we forget that they really are miracles!)... and yet, in this particular case it is extremely tragic that such is the case...

For... the people calling the shots shall not be the ones who shall face the brunt of the assault... they are not the ones who shall have limbs dismembered... or organs exploded... they are not the ones who shall lose their lives on the battlefront... they shall sit at their desks and make these cold decisions... such is the way it is... and such is the way it shall remain... in fact, all through history, I do believe cases where the ones calling the shots had spine enough to face things at the forefront themselves are of a singular nature... If people have seen the movie "Starship Troopers", I would note that one might try to dismiss it as a second rate sci-fi action flick, but its beauty lies in a simple conversation hidden away somewhere in the middle of the movie - "You knew and you sent them (to die) anyway?" "Yes... too bad is it not? But SICON needed enough data to prepare for a real attack"... - a very accurate depiction of the way things work in our physical reality as well...

Terror rages on in my home country... and, as is typically to be expected, people calling the shots have not spine enough to do a god-damned thing about it... they would sit back, and let the "data" come in, so that appropriate measures may then be taken... really... what else can they do? "No brave new world"...

Time... wait... prepare... when the imperium marches against Gul-Kuthoth, then dark sorceries shall enshroud the citadel of the Obsidian Crown.... "A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh... Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked"... that is a promise...

"Now facing as another...
The stand-off eats at time...
Then all at once... a silence falls
As the bell ceases its chime...
Upon this sign the challengers
With shrieks and cries rush forth!
The knives fly out like bullets
Upon their deadly course!
Screams of pain and agony
Rent the silent air...
Amidst the dying bodies
Blood runs everywhere!
The figure stands expressionless
Impassive and alone...
Unmoved by this victory
And the seeds of death he's sown....
Sworn to avenge!
Condemn to hell!!!
Tempt not the blade all fear the Sentinel!"

- Judas Priest, "The Sentinel"

वर्षों तक वन में घूम-घूम,

बाधा-विघ्नों को चूम-चूम,

सह धूप-घाम, पानी-पत्थर,

पाण्डव आये कुछ और निखर।

सौभाग्य न सब दिन सोता है,

देखें, आगे क्या होता है।

मैत्री की राह बताने को,

सबको सुमार्ग पर लाने को,

दुर्योधन को समझाने को,

भीषण विध्वंस बचाने को,

भगवान् हस्तिनापुर आये,

पाण्डव का संदेशा लाये।

"दो न्याय अगर तो आधा दो,

पर, इसमें भी यदि बाधा हो,

तो दे दो केवल पाँच ग्राम,

रक्खो अपनी धरती तमाम।

हम वहीं खुशी से खायेंगे,

परिजन पर असि न उठायेंगे!"

दुर्योधन वह भी दे ना सका,

आशीष समाज की ले न सका,

उल्टे, हरि को बाँधने चला,

जो था असाध्य, साधने चला।

जन नाश मनुज पर छाता है,

पहले विवेक मर जाता है।

हरि ने भीषण हुंकार किया,

अपना स्वरूप विस्तार किया,

डगमग-डगमग दिग्गज डोले,

भगवान् कुपित होकर बोले-

"ज़ंजीर बढ़ा कर साध मुझे,

हाँ, हाँ दुर्योधन! बाँध मुझे।

"यह देख, गगन मुझमें लय है,

यह देख, पवन मुझमें लय है,

मुझमें विलीन झंकार सकल,

मुझमें लय है संसार सकल।

अमरत्व फूलता है मुझमें,

संहार झूलता है मुझमें।

"उद्याचल मेरा दीप्त भाल,

भूमंडल वक्षस्थल विशाल,

भुज परिधि-बन्ध को घेरे हैं,

मैनाक-मेरु पग मेरे हैं।

दिपते जो ग्रह नक्षत्र निकर,

सब हैं मेरे मुख के अन्दर।

"दृग हों तो दृश्य अकाण्ड देख,

मुझमें सारा ब्रह्माण्ड देख,

चर-अचर जीव, जग, क्षर-अक्षर,

नश्वर मनुष्य सुरजाति अमर।

शत कोटि सूर्य, शत कोटि चन्द्र,

शत कोटि सरित, सर, सिन्धु मन्द्र।

"शत कोटि विष्णु, ब्रह्मा, महेश,

शत कोटि विष्णु जलपति, धनेश,

शत कोटि रुद्र, शत कोटि काल,

शत कोटि दण्डधर लोकपाल।"

ज़ंजीर बढ़ाकर साध इन्हें,

हाँ-हाँ दुर्योधन! बाँध इन्हें।

"भूलोक, अतल, पाताल देख,

गत और अनागत काल देख,

यह देख जगत का आदि-सृजन,

यह देख, महाभारत का रण,

मृतकों से पटी हुई भू है,

पहचान, कहाँ इसमें तू है।

"अम्बर में कुन्तल-जाल देख,

पद के नीचे पाताल देख,

मुट्ठी में तीनों काल देख,

मेरा स्वरूप विकराल देख।

सब जन्म मुझी से पाते हैं,

फिर लौट मुझी में आते हैं।

"जिह्वा से कढ़ती ज्वाल सघन,

साँसों में पाता जन्म पवन,

पड़ जाती मेरी दृष्टि जिधर,

हँसने लगती है सृष्टि उधर!

मैं जभी मूँदता हूँ लोचन,

छा जाता चारों ओर मरण।

"बाँधने मुझे तो आया है,

जंजीर बड़ी क्या लाया है?

यदि मुझे बाँधना चाहे मन,

पहले तो बाँध अनन्त गगन।

सूने को साध न सकता है,

वह मुझे बाँध कब सकता है?

"हित-वचन नहीं तूने माना,

मैत्री का मूल्य न पहचाना,

तो ले, मैं भी अब जाता हूँ,

अन्तिम संकल्प सुनाता हूँ।

याचना नहीं, अब रण होगा,

जीवन-जय या कि मरण होगा।

"टकरायेंगे नक्षत्र-निकर,

बरसेगी भू पर वह्नि प्रखर,

फण शेषनाग का डोलेगा,

विकराल काल मुँह खोलेगा।

दुर्योधन! रण ऐसा होगा।

फिर कभी नहीं जैसा होगा।

"भाई पर भाई टूटेंगे,

विष-बाण बूँद-से छूटेंगे,

वायस-श्रृगाल सुख लूटेंगे,

सौभाग्य मनुज के फूटेंगे।

आखिर तू भूशायी होगा,

हिंसा का पर, दायी होगा।"

थी सभा सन्न, सब लोग डरे,

चुप थे या थे बेहोश पड़े।

केवल दो नर ना अघाते थे,

धृतराष्ट्र-विदुर सुख पाते थे।

कर जोड़ खड़े प्रमुदित, निर्भय,

दोनों पुकारते थे 'जय-जय'!

- "रश्मिरथी" - रामधारी सिंह "दिनकर"

"Lay beside me, tell me what I've done
The door is closed, so are your eyes
But now I see the sun, now I see the sun
Yes now I see it...

What I've felt, what I've known
Turn the pages, turn the stone
Behind the door, should I open it for you....

What I've felt, what I've known
Sick and tired, I stand alone
Could you be there, 'cause I'm the one who waits,
The one who waits for you....."

- Metallica, "The Unforgiven II"

"Slaves
Hebrews born to serve, to the pharaoh
Heed
To his every word, live in fear
Faith
Of the unknown one, the deliverer
Wait
Something must be done, four hundred years

So let it be written
So let it be done
I'm sent here by the chosen one
So let it be written
So let it be done
To kill the first born pharaoh son
I'm creeping death

Now
Let my people go, land of goshen
Go
I will be with thee, bush of fire
Blood
Running red and strong, down the Nile
Plague
Darkness three days long, hail to fire

So let it be written
So let it be done
I'm sent here by the chosen one
So let it be written
So let it be done
To kill the first born pharaoh son
I'm creeping death

Die by my hand
I creep across the land
Killing first born man
Die by my hand
I creep across the land
Killing first born man

I
Rule the midnight air the destroyer
Born
I shall soon be there, deadly mass
I
Creep the steps and flood final darkness
Blood
Lambs blood painted door, I shall pass

So let it be written
So let it be done
I'm sent here by the chosen one
So let it be written
So let it be done
To kill the first born pharaoh son
I'm creeping death..."

- Metallica, "Creeping Death"

"God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it?"

- Friedrich Nietzsche, 'Thus Spoke Zarathustra'