Game Theory

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Situations in which the outcome of your own decisions depends also upon what others do are pervasive in everyday life. Game Theory focuses on the study of strategic interactions, which occur if the payoff (e.g., utility or profit) to an agent depends not only on her own decisions but also on the decisions made by others. In the presence of strategic interactions, choosing an ‘optimal' course of action requires taking other agents' behavior and beliefs into account. This is an introductory course in Game Theory which develops the basic tools and concepts necessary to analyze such interactions and understand how rational agents should behave in strategic situations. In recent years, game theoretic methods have become central to the study of networks (e.g, financial networks) and social interactions. In this course they are used to analyze such economic and political issues as oligopoly, the problem of the commons, auctions, bank runs, collusion and cartels, the conduct of monetary policy, bargaining, global warming, competition among political parties, arms races, negotiations and conflict resolution (e.g., contested resources and territorial disputes). Emphasis is placed on applications, practical understanding and a tools-oriented approach. The topics will be presented through a combination of abstract theory and many applied examples.