using functional calculus and topology and chess, von neumann proved it possible to work out the best strategy in zero-sum games that would maximize potential gains or minimize potential losses. von neumann quickly recognized that his ideas could be applied to the game of business, so in 1944, he teamed up with economist oskar morgenstern and wrote theory of games and economic behavior. the book revolutionized the field of economics. at that time, economists focused on how each individual responds to the market and not how individuals interact with each other. von neumann and morgenstern argued that game theory provides a tool to measure how each player's actions influence their rivals. with the minimax solution, there was at last some mathematical way to help figure out the best strategy in a zero-sum game. but the problem remained: is there a best strategy for a non-zero-sum game like the prisoner's dilemma? the complexities of non-zero-sum games were of great interest to the mathematician john nash. in a series of articles published between 1950 and 1953, nash produced some amazing