Simplifying Complexity

The El Farol problem

Jun 12, 2023
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ANECDOTE

El Farol Bar

  • W. Brian Arthur frequented a small, crowded bar called El Farol in Santa Fe.
  • This bar inspired his El Farol problem, exploring how people predict attendance.
INSIGHT

Deductive Rationality Fails

  • Standard economic models, assuming identical rational actors, fail to explain the El Farol problem.
  • If everyone uses the same prediction, the outcome negates the prediction itself.
INSIGHT

Multiple Prediction Rules

  • Arthur's model used multiple prediction rules (like an 'alphabet soup').
  • Agents used several rules, tracking accuracy and acting on the best ones.
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