<p>Although I don't have the book here, I am quite certain that mixed strategies are already present in the book from 1944. I believe that I have read somewhere the claim that &quot;mixed strategies&quot; where actually introduced in an earlier version of the book (published in German in 1928, says Wikipedia). However, what I have read mostly is the claim that Emile Borel (yes, THE Borel) first wrote down this idea in a note in 1921.
I guess here is a man with enough authority to state that:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>E. Borel was the first author to evolve the concept of a strategy, pure as well as mixed, although he did not go beyond the case of the symmetric two-person game.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>says von Neumann <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/1906949" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a>: &quot;Communication on the Borel Notes&quot;, J. von Neumann and M. Fréchet, Econometrica 1953.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-18T19:51:02.407Z
The Econometrica issue actually has translations of the original Borel notes: https://www.jstor.org/stable/i332594
Bayesian
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-18T21:19:38.810Z
Just read Borel 1921. It is indeed the first one discussing mix strategy in games!
High GPA
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-18T15:33:40.120Z
2020-09-18T15:33:40.120Z
Bayesian
<p>Who is the first person/paper to introduce &quot;mixed strategy&quot;? The PNAS by Nash used this notion without citing anyone.</p>
<p>Does the earlier book: Von Neumann, J., and Morgenstern, O., The Theory of Games and Economic Behavior</p>
<p>include the introduction of mix strategy?</p>

<game-theory><nash-equilibrium><history-economic-thought>
Who is the first person/paper to introduce "mixed strategy"?
High GPA
# Who is the first person/paper to introduce "mixed strategy"?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-12-05)

Who is the first person/paper to introduce "mixed strategy"? The PNAS by Nash used this notion without citing anyone.

Does the earlier book: Von Neumann, J., and Morgenstern, O., The Theory of Games and Economic Behavior

include the introduction of mix strategy?

**Tags:** game-theory, nash-equilibrium, history-economic-thought

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-09-18. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

Although I don't have the book here, I am quite certain that mixed strategies are already present in the book from 1944. I believe that I have read somewhere the claim that "mixed strategies" where actually introduced in an earlier version of the book (published in German in 1928, says Wikipedia). However, what I have read mostly is the claim that Emile Borel (yes, THE Borel) first wrote down this idea in a note in 1921.
I guess here is a man with enough authority to state that:

> E. Borel was the first author to evolve the concept of a strategy, pure as well as mixed, although he did not go beyond the case of the symmetric two-person game.

says von Neumann [here](https://www.jstor.org/stable/1906949): "Communication on the Borel Notes", J. von Neumann and M. Fréchet, Econometrica 1953.

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: The Econometrica issue actually has translations of the original Borel notes: https://www.jstor.org/stable/i332594  
> **username_0**: Just read Borel 1921. It is indeed the first one discussing mix strategy in games!  

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