Truels, or Survival of the Weakest

A duel is simply a game with two players, each having a probability of winning that game and each having an intrinsic marksmanship, or ability, associated with his or her performance. The mathematical treatment of this game confirms our simple expectations. If more than two players participate, a series of duels might be needed to determine the absolute winner. This is the case in sports tournaments, which pair teams in all possible ways until the ultimate winner emerges. A truel is a generalization of a duel involving three players and slightly different rules