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When dealing with conflicts, game theory and decision theory can be used to model the interactions of the decision-makers. To date, game theory and decision theory have received considerable modeling focus, while hypergame theory has not. A metagame, known as a hypergame, occurs when one player does not know or fully understand all the strategies of a game. Hypergame theory extends the advantages of game theory by allowing a player to outmaneuver an opponent and obtaining a more preferred outcome with a higher utility. The ability to outmaneuver an opponent occurs in the hypergame because the different views (perception or deception) of opponents are captured in the model, through the incorporation of information unknown to other players (misperception or intentional deception). The hypergame model more accurately provides solutions for complex theoretic modeling of conflicts than those modeled by game theory and excels where perception or information differences exist between players. This paper explores the current research in hypergame theory and presents a broad overview of the historical literature on hypergame theory.

The core of the Air Force Metrology and Calibration Program's NextGen Automated Calibration Software are three defined layers that are the backbone of the system: (1) Sequencer Layer which handles equipment configuration, graphical user interface, and abstracts test logic into a readable XML standard; (2) Measurement Module Layer which runs the calibration technique, timing and the taking of measurement data independent to whatever specific instruments are being used; and (3) Communication Layer which controls the instruments, communication buses and equipment substitution. All three layers have been updated over the years that NextGen has been in use; however, changes in one layer have had little to no impact on the remaining two. The resulting effect of this is that updates to one area can be applied at any time without affecting the work currently in progress on another. Updates to the Sequencer Layer have included multiple measurements per data table, consolidation of methods, and handling of...