Call for a return to rigour in models

摘要

Why are numerous reactions to the Nowak et al. paper so ferocious? And how is it possible that theorists even seem to disagree about mathematics? An important key to the heatedness of the debate is that many theory papers on the evolution of cooperation use the Price equation. This is regularly treated as if its generality makes it the E=mc~2 of population genetics. Those who use it, however, tend to forget that it is only general because it contains no modelling assumptions. And without these, one cannot derive theoretical predictions.