4.7
stars
1,891 ratings

Michihiro Kandori

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Welcome to Game Theory

The University of Tokyo

About this Course

57,492 recent views

This course provides a brief introduction to game theory. Our main goal is to understand the basic ideas behind the key concepts in game theory, such as equilibrium, rationality, and cooperation. The course uses very little mathematics, and it is ideal for those who are looking for a conceptual introduction to game theory.
Business competition, political campaigns, the struggle for existence by animals and plants, and so on, can all be regarded as a kind of “game,” in which individuals try to do their best against others. Game theory provides a general framework to describe and analyze how individuals behave in such “strategic” situations.

This course focuses on the key concepts in game theory, and attempts to outline the informal basic ideas that are often hidden behind mathematical definitions. Game theory has been applied to a number of disciplines, including economics, political science, psychology, sociology, biology, and computer science. Therefore, a warm welcome is extended to audiences from all fields who are interested in what game theory is all about.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

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Beginner Level

Approx. 20 hours to complete

English

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Skills you will gain

Nash Equilibrium
Game Theory
Strategic Planning

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Beginner Level

Approx. 20 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.74/5 (365 Ratings)

Michihiro Kandori

Offered by

The University of Tokyo

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating96%(7,584 ratings)

Week1

Week 1

5 hours to complete

Why Do We Need Game Theory, and What Does it Tell Us?

Is it possible to analyze a wide variety of social and economic problems using a unified framework? In the first module, we address this question. We will see that the concept of rational decision making is useful, but it is not quite sufficient to provide governing principles. Motivated examples and some history of game theory will be provided. You will also be asked to play a simple card game to see how it feels to make your decisions strategically.

5 hours to complete

12 videos (Total 91 min), 6 readings, 5 quizzes

12 videos

Course Preview1m1-1 What is Game Theory?8m1-2 Modelling Social Problems as a "Game"12m1-3 In Search for the Governing Principle10m1-4 Concerns About a Mathematical Theory of Human Behavior7m1-5 Let's Play a Game6mCard Game Tutorial (No Audio)2m1-6 John Nash Discovered the Governing Principle6m1-7 Nash Equilibrium9m1-8 Traffic Game in Reality7m1-9 Location Game6m1-10 Policies of Two Parties10m

6 readings

Course Description10mSyllabus10mCard Game Challenge Instruction10m(Supplementary Reading Material) Convergence to Nash Equilibrium in the Traffic Game10mAbout Optional Challenge Problems2mSupplemental explanation for Question 1, 2 and 310m

5 practice exercises

Practice Quiz 1.130mPractice Quiz 1.230mPractice Quiz 1.330mGraded Quiz 130mModule 1 Optional Challenge Problems1h

Week2

Week 2

5 hours to complete

Understanding Nash equilibrium

5 hours to complete

10 videos (Total 89 min), 1 reading, 5 quizzes

10 videos

2-1 Nash Equilibrium and the Prisoner’s Dilemma10m2-2 Coordination Game and Self-Fulfilling Prophecy9m2-3 Market Competition11m2-4 Why Do People Come to Play Nash Equilibrium? Part I7m2-5 Why Do People Come to Play Nash Equilibrium? Part II7m2-6 Why Do People Come to Play Nash Equilibrium? Part III7m2-7 Stylized Facts and Nash Equilibrium5m2-8 Make Yourself Unpredictable: Mixed Strategy Equilibrium7m2-9 Sports Games and Game Theory10m2-10 Nash Equilibrium Exists in All Games11m

1 reading

About Optional Challenge Problems2m

5 practice exercises

Practice Quiz 2.130mPractice Quiz 2.230mPractice Quiz 2.330mGraded Quiz 230mModule 2 Optional Challenge Problems1h

Week3

Week 3

5 hours to complete

Rationality, Knowledge, and Evolution in Games

In Module 3, we will dig deeper into the relationship between rationality and Nash equilibrium. We will consider the whole spectrum of possible intellectual capacities of players, spanning the range from unlimited ability for sophisticated reasoning to absolute zero intelligence. In the end, you will see that Nash equilibrium can emerge under a fairly wide range of intellectual capacities of players.

5 hours to complete

9 videos (Total 94 min), 3 readings, 5 quizzes

9 videos

3-1 Digression: The Card Game Revisited11m3-2 Digression: How You Played the Card Game and Addressing the Concerns about Game Theory15m3-3 “Payoffs” in a Game: What Exactly Are Those Numbers?9m3-4 What Does it Mean That a Player is Rational?6m3-5 Domination: Strategies That Are “Obviously Good or Bad”10m3-6 Common Knowledge of Rationality10m3-7 Low Rationality: What Happens if Players Are Not Very Smart?7m3-8 Game Theory Under Zero-Intelligence: Biological Evolution10m3-9 Fig Wasps Play a Nash Equilibrium11m

3 readings

Aggregated Result of the Card Game Challenge10mAbout Optional Challenge Problems2mSupplemental explanation for Question 2, 3 and 410m

5 practice exercises

Practice Quiz 3.130mPractice Quiz 3.230mPractice Quiz 3.330mGraded Quiz 330mModule 3 Optional Challenge Problems1h 20m

Week4

Week 4

6 hours to complete

Sustaining Cooperation

The final module is devoted to the most important and most general message of game theory: rational behavior quite often leads to a socially undesirable outcome. We will first try to understand the basic reason for this, and then see how this insight of game theory has made fundamental impacts in the natural and social sciences. Finally, we will learn some general methods to overcome this problem.

6 hours to complete

11 videos (Total 123 min), 2 readings, 5 quizzes

11 videos

4-1 Group Rationality and The Rationality of Individuals10m4-2 Why is Group Rationality Different From Rationality of Individuals?10m4-3 Group Rationality vs. Rationality of Individuals in Biological Evolution11m4-4 Group Rationality vs. Rationality of Individuals in Social Thought11m4-5 How to Enforce Socially Desirable Outcomes13m4-6 Cooperation of gas Stations in Long-Term Relationship Part I: Need For Cooperation12m4-7 Cooperation of Gas Stations in Long-Term Relationship Part II: Mechanism of Cooperation11m4-8 Reputation and Brand Name10m4-9 Cooperation in Loosely Knit Organization14m4-10 Summary of the Course13mFinal Message from the Instructor4m

2 readings

(Supplementary Reading Material) Why People Discount Future Payoff?10mAbout Optional Challenge Problems2m

5 practice exercises

Practice Quiz 4.130mPractice Quiz 4.230mPractice Quiz 4.330mGraded Quiz 430mModule 4 Optional Challenge Problems1h 20m

Reviews

4.7

429 reviews

5 stars
74.61%
4 stars
20.57%
3 stars
3.17%
2 stars
0.84%
1 star
0.79%

TOP REVIEWS FROM WELCOME TO GAME THEORY

by SBApr 3, 2016

This course is an interesting course. Game theory is applicable in all the fields. Having a strong foundation in game theory is advantageous in the 21st century.

by LYDec 16, 2017

Simple to follow, focuses on introducing basic concepts rather than the math. Could be more in-depth though. Nonetheless, great precursor to the Game Theory course from Stanford.

by RRMay 30, 2020

This course is amazing for beginners for no prior knowledge about game theory. I especially love the recommendations given at the end of the courses and the honour problems given in the course.

by TKOct 15, 2017

Great introductory course. It's a bit light on math but the focus is clearly on understanding general concepts and principles of game theory. Both are very well explained.

View all reviews

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Welcome to Game Theory

Welcome to Game Theory

About this Course

Skills you will gain