The pure math of von Neumann style modeling is an incomplete and inapplicable system that has mostly been rendered obsolete when applied to human situations [1] and has been surpassed with behavioral game theory [2] and sociological modeling which is dependent on variable input from field research into actual human activities (which often vary widely by regional, cultural, temporal influences). Attempts to describe this can be found with Knightian uncertainty, dynamic inconsistency, bounded rationality [3], anchoring bias, decision theory, applying bayesian models, and complex system modeling theories which generally also involve models using statistical sampling from reality instead of presumptive theoritical models based on the early primitive von Neumann concepts.

For computational optimization, the von Neumann game theory terms are applied to actual logic systems and we end up with computer vision optimizations and video/audio codec best guess optimizations, or some interesting applications of evolutionary computing [4] in verifiable applications like signal optimization in antenna design [5] or industrial manufacturing techniques and structural integrity or architectural optimizations via generative design [6] in software [7] like generative computer automated design, ie Fusion 360 or Grasshopper [8].

Rudimentary modeling with von Neumann game theory fails to account for variables in reality, like the ambiguity effect and in applications like optimization of social choices like economic modeling or voting i.e. Gibbard's theorem. There's often situations where game theory fails to account for an adversarial evasion of the rule set - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metagame_analysis

If the primitive von Neumann game theory models were used to train an artificial intelligence system that controlled military weapons, there would have been global thermal nuclear winter in several decision making "games" like the 1983 Soviet nuclear false alarm situation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_Soviet_nuclear_false_alar...

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambiguity_effect

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambiguity_aversion

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behavioral_game_theory

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bounded_rationality

[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolutionary_computing

[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolved_antenna

[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generative_Design

[7] https://fab.cba.mit.edu/classes/865.18/design/generative/ind...

[8] https://www.engineering.com/DesignSoftware/DesignSoftwareArt...