About Me
I am a Ph.D. student in Physics at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, working at the intersection of physics, biology, and game theory. My research integrates experimental work on social insects (indian queenless ant), theoretical modeling, and numerical simulations to investigate how collective and strategic decision-making emerges from the interactions of cognitively limited animals.
My primary interest lies in behavioral game theory applied to non-human animal societies, particularly ants. I aim to mathematically capture the strategic decision-making observed in behavioral experiments and interpret these behaviors through the lens of game theory.
I am also interested in the evolutionary origins of cooperation within the framework of evolutionary game dynamics. Classical evolutionary game theory often assumes that agents are myopic, not consciously maximizing utility, but instead adopting strategies that confer higher fitness. I seek to extend this view by incorporating insights from behavioral game theory, both experimentally and theoretically, to explore how real animal strategies can be modeled more accurately. This leads to a deeper question: if certain cognitive mechanisms are favored by evolution, what are the evolutionary reasons behind their persistence, and how do they contribute to decision-making efficiency in specific ecological contexts?