## Cybernetics • Requisite Variety • Selection 12

Ashby now invites us to consider a series of games, beginning as follows.

## Requisite Variety

11/3.   Play and outcome.  Let us therefore forget all about regulation and simply suppose that we are watching two players, $R$ and $D,$ who are engaged in a game.  We shall follow the fortunes of $R,$ who is attempting to score an a.  The rules are as follows.  They have before them Table 11/3/1, which can be seen by both:

$D$ must play first, by selecting a number, and thus a particular row.  $R,$ knowing this number, then selects a Greek letter, and thus a particular column.  The italic letter specified by the intersection of the row and column is the outcome.  If it is an a, $R$ wins;  if not, $R$ loses.

I’ll pause the play here and give readers a chance to contemplate strategies.

### Reference

• Ashby, W.R. (1956), An Introduction to Cybernetics, Chapman and Hall, London, UK.  Republished by Methuen and Company, London, UK, 1964.  Online.

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