Course Description
Introduction to the basic concepts of game theory, with emphasis on applications to international relations and comparative politics research. Core concepts like preferences and expected utility will be covered. Two-player, non- cooperative games and the basic solution concept for these games, the Nash equilibrium, will also be discussed. A series of more complex models and the refinements to the Nash equilibrium needed to solve them will be covered.
Athena Title
INTL/GAME THY
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
This provide students with the capacity to become better consumers of research that uses game theory, the ability to apply the insights derived from game theory to their own research, and sets the foundation for those wanting to begin building their own models with the intention of further study at a more sophisticated level.
Topical Outline
1) Preferences, expected utility, rationality 2) Normal form games 3) Dominance, the Nash equilibrium 4) Mixed strategy equilibrium, continuous strategy spaces 5) Extensive form games, sub-game perfect equilibrium, and backwards induction 6) Repeated games, the folk theorem 7) Incomplete information, perfect bayesian equilibrium 8) N-Person games