Focal point
In Game theory, a Focal point (also known as a Schelling Point) refers to a solution that people tend to default to when there is no communication. One of the most famous examples is the New York question: if you were to meet a stranger in New York but couldn't communicate with them, where and when would you choose to meet? This is a Coordination Game that can have multiple equilibrium solutions at any location and time in the city. When Schelling asked this question to students, the most common answer was "at noon, at the Grand Central Terminal information booth". While Grand Central Terminal is not inherently a more rewarding location (as one could easily meet someone at a bar or a public library reading room), its tradition as a meeting place enhances its importance and thus becomes a natural "focus" point. 1 Subsequently, Schelling's informal experiment has been replicated by Judith Mehta under controlled conditions with monetary incentives. This "special" point, where the crowd determines whether two addresses are similar, is considered a common sense assumption in DeCartography. Proof of Schelling Point is the term used by tkgshn.icon to describe this. Related: