Welcome to Game Theory

The University of Tokyo

About this Course

91,810 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.

Learner Career Outcomes

23%

started a new career after completing these courses

33%

got a tangible career benefit from this course

23%

got a pay increase or promotion

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Beginner Level

Approx. 21 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: French, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, English, Spanish

Skills you will gain

Nash EquilibriumGame TheoryStrategic Planning

Learner Career Outcomes

23%

started a new career after completing these courses

33%

got a tangible career benefit from this course

23%

got a pay increase or promotion

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Beginner Level

Approx. 21 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: French, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, English, Spanish

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.69/5 (248 Ratings)

Michihiro Kandori

University Professor

Faculty of Economics

68,271 Learners

1 Course

Offered by

The University of Tokyo

The University of Tokyo was established in 1877 as the first national university in Japan. As a leading research university, UTokyo offers courses in essentially all academic disciplines at both undergraduate and graduate levels and conducts research across the full spectrum of academic activity.

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating96%(6,746 ratings)

Week

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 Preview1m

1-1 What is Game Theory?8m

1-2 Modelling Social Problems as a "Game"12m

1-3 In Search for the Governing Principle10m

1-4 Concerns About a Mathematical Theory of Human Behavior7m

1-5 Let's Play a Game6m

Card Game Tutorial (No Audio)2m

1-6 John Nash Discovered the Governing Principle6m

1-7 Nash Equilibrium9m

1-8 Traffic Game in Reality7m

1-9 Location Game6m

1-10 Policies of Two Parties10m

6 readings

Course Description10m

Syllabus10m

Card Game Challenge Instruction10m

(Supplementary Reading Material) Convergence to Nash Equilibrium in the Traffic Game10m

About Optional Challenge Problems2m

Supplemental explanation for Question 1, 2 and 310m

5 practice exercises

Practice Quiz 1.130m

Practice Quiz 1.230m

Practice Quiz 1.330m

Graded Quiz 130m

Module 1 Optional Challenge Problems1h

Week

Week 2

5 hours to complete

Understanding Nash equilibrium

The basic solution concept of game theory is Nash equilibrium. In Module 2, we try to understand this central concept through various examples and ask the following crucial question: how do players come to play a 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 Dilemma10m

2-2 Coordination Game and Self-Fulfilling Prophecy9m

2-3 Market Competition11m

2-4 Why Do People Come to Play Nash Equilibrium? Part I7m

2-5 Why Do People Come to Play Nash Equilibrium? Part II7m

2-6 Why Do People Come to Play Nash Equilibrium? Part III7m

2-7 Stylized Facts and Nash Equilibrium5m

2-8 Make Yourself Unpredictable: Mixed Strategy Equilibrium7m

2-9 Sports Games and Game Theory10m

2-10 Nash Equilibrium Exists in All Games11m

1 reading

About Optional Challenge Problems2m

5 practice exercises

Practice Quiz 2.130m

Practice Quiz 2.230m

Practice Quiz 2.330m

Graded Quiz 230m

Module 2 Optional Challenge Problems1h

Week

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 Revisited11m

3-2 Digression: How You Played the Card Game and Addressing the Concerns about Game Theory15m

3-3 “Payoffs” in a Game: What Exactly Are Those Numbers?9m

3-4 What Does it Mean That a Player is Rational?6m

3-5 Domination: Strategies That Are “Obviously Good or Bad”10m

3-6 Common Knowledge of Rationality10m

3-7 Low Rationality: What Happens if Players Are Not Very Smart?7m

3-8 Game Theory Under Zero-Intelligence: Biological Evolution10m

3-9 Fig Wasps Play a Nash Equilibrium11m

3 readings

Aggregated Result of the Card Game Challenge10m

About Optional Challenge Problems2m

Supplemental explanation for Question 2, 3 and 410m

5 practice exercises

Practice Quiz 3.130m

Practice Quiz 3.230m

Practice Quiz 3.330m

Graded Quiz 330m

Module 3 Optional Challenge Problems1h 20m

Week

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 Individuals10m

4-2 Why is Group Rationality Different From Rationality of Individuals?10m

4-3 Group Rationality vs. Rationality of Individuals in Biological Evolution11m

4-4 Group Rationality vs. Rationality of Individuals in Social Thought11m

4-5 How to Enforce Socially Desirable Outcomes13m

4-6 Cooperation of gas Stations in Long-Term Relationship Part I: Need For Cooperation12m

4-7 Cooperation of Gas Stations in Long-Term Relationship Part II: Mechanism of Cooperation11m

4-8 Reputation and Brand Name10m

4-9 Cooperation in Loosely Knit Organization14m

4-10 Summary of the Course13m

Final Message from the Instructor4m

2 readings

(Supplementary Reading Material) Why People Discount Future Payoff?10m

About Optional Challenge Problems2m

5 practice exercises

Practice Quiz 4.130m

Practice Quiz 4.230m

Practice Quiz 4.330m

Graded Quiz 430m

Module 4 Optional Challenge Problems1h 20m

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes, Coursera provides financial aid to learners who cannot afford the fee. Apply for it by clicking on the Financial Aid link beneath the "Enroll" button on the left. You’ll be prompted to complete an application and will be notified if you are approved. Learn more.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

Welcome to Game Theory