Game Theory & Applications: Navigating the Strategic World

Game theory is one of the outstanding intellectual advances of the last decades (as exemplified by 10 Nobel prizes). It is an analytical tool which treats all types of strategic interactions in a consistent and systematic way, be that a situation of conflict, cooperation, or a combination of the two. Strategic situation is always characterized by interdependence , i.e. one person’s behaviour affects (and is affected by) the choices and the wellbeing of another person, either positively or negatively.

Game theory is applied widely in the social sciences (anthropology, business, economics, law, psychology, sociology, and philosophy), biology, engineering, and computer science. This course introduces game theory as an analytical tool and explores its applications in various fields. Throughout the course we incrementally introduce game-theoretic concepts to understand how players behave in strategic situations, evaluate the outcome, and redesign games. This course includes topics from non-cooperative, cooperative, and evolutionary game theory.

The minor consists of 1 course with 15 EC (420 hours):

Plenary meetings: (3h20) 60 hours
Tutorials: (3h10) 30 hours
Weekly tutorial preparations: (10h*10) 100 hours
Final exam: 3 hours
Group assignment and presentation: 100 hours
Literature study and exam preparation: 127 hours
TOTAL: 420 hours

After successful completion of this minor students are able to

• Understand and master the game-theoretic way of thinking.
• Practice the logic of a game-theoretic argument indiverse applications.
• Redesign games to improve outcomes of strategic interactions.

Entry level knowledge:
Although this minor does not have mathematics as a prerequisite, a basic knowledge of linear algebra is recommended. Relevant topics include basic operations, functions, and solving of linear equations and inequalities. If a student wishes to review these concepts, an optional online self-study math module can be made available on Sowiso platform at the start of the minor.

Schedule information:
Attendance of all weekly meetings (plenary and tutorials) is mandatory. According to EUC’s Academic Rules and Regulations, missing two mandatory sessions has no consequences; missing three mandatory sessions leads to a loss of professional conduct grade (10% of the final grade), and missing four or more sessions results in failing the minor.**
For some weeks, two in-person plenary meetings may be replaced by one in-person plenary meeting and a pre-recorded theory video.

AI and assessment:**
Individual elements of the assessment (final exam and professional conduct) exclude the possibility of using AI and / or ChatGPT in a fraudulent manner. Group assessment elements will accommodate for a possibility of co-learning and co-creating with the help of AI; the methodology to address such possibility will depend on the development of AI around the start of the minor.

The minor relies on two types of teaching methods:

1. Plenary meetings (3h*2 per week, mandatory attendance)

These meetings combine theory and real-life applications discussions, interactive games and experiments (via online platform classex or in-person), and small group discussions and tasks.

• Tutorials (3h*1 per week, mandatory attendance)These small group (12-15 students) meetings are actively led by the students (with the teacher present) and require preparation, such as submission of weekly problem sets, and in some weeks - graded group presentations.

The individual final exam is 3 hours long and consists of open questions, similar in format to weekly problem set exercises. Final exam open questions contain multiple open sub-questions, aiming at different levels of learning (ranging from remembering and understanding, to applying and analyzing, as well as evaluating and creating).