Evolutionary Games on Networks and Biological Systems

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue brings together evolutionary game theory, network models, and biological systems under a unified banner. It aims to explore how cooperative and competitive behaviours emerge in structured populations—ranging from microbial communities and virus–host systems to higher-level organisms and ecological networks.

Contributions may address theoretical foundations (e.g., replicator and stochastic dynamics), computational approaches (agent-based simulations, metaheuristic search, machine-learning, and knowledge-graph methods), as well as real-world applications. We particularly welcome studies that uncover novel mechanisms of network or spatial reciprocity, demonstrate multi-level selection or the evolution of altruism in biological contexts, or explore quantum extensions of evolutionary games such as quantum automata and strategy protocols.

Scope and Topics

Contributions may address (but are not limited to) the following areas:

1. Foundations of Evolutionary Games
   • Core models in evolutionary game theory
   • Replicator dynamics and stochastic processes
2. Network Structure and Dynamics
   • Analysis of complex and adaptive networks
   • Co-evolution of network topology and game strategies
   • Network and spatial reciprocity
3. Biological and Ecological Applications
   • Public goods and Prisoner’s Dilemma in microbial communities
   •  Virus–host interaction models
   • Evolution of altruism and multi-level selection in populations
4. Quantum Extensions
   • Quantum versions of evolutionary games
   • Quantum automata and game protocols
   • Implications of quantum strategies for biological cooperation
5. Computational and Data-Driven Methods
   • Machine-learning and knowledge-graph approaches for parameter inference
   • Agent-based simulations of cooperation dynamics
6. Hybrid and Metaheuristic Approaches
   • Combining evolutionary algorithms, heuristic search and game simulations
   • Scaling methods for large biological networks

We welcome contributions that

• Introduce new algorithms or analytical tools for evolutionary games on networks;
• Use real-world data to test game-theoretic predictions;
• Explore quantum or metaheuristic methods in evolutionary settings;
• Apply cross-disciplinary techniques from computer science, mathematics and the life sciences to evolutionary games.

Dr. Kalliopi Kastampolidou
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Games is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.