About this course: 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.

Who is this class for: This course is aimed at the beginners of economics and game theory: - No prior knowledge of economics or game theory is required. - No knowledge of math beyond simple arithmetic is required.

Created by: The University of Tokyo

Taught by: Michihiro Kandori, Professor
Faculty of Economics

Level	Beginner
Commitment	3-4 hours/week
Language	English
How To Pass	Pass all graded assignments to complete the course.
User Ratings	4.6 stars Average User Rating 4.6See what learners said

Syllabus

WEEK 1

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 gov...

12 videos, 4 readings, 3 practice quizzes

Graded: Graded Quiz 1

WEEK 2

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?

10 videos, 3 practice quizzes

Graded: Graded Quiz 2

WEEK 3

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 absolut...

9 videos, 1 reading, 3 practice quizzes

Graded: Graded Quiz 3

WEEK 4

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 t...

11 videos, 1 reading, 3 practice quizzes

Graded: Graded Quiz 4

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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.

Ratings and Reviews

Rated 4.6 out of 5 of 461 ratings

Very well explained and nice paced course.

Absolute best!

Good introduction to game theory....

Enjoyed, wet my whistle to explore further

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Welcome to Game Theory

Welcome to Game Theory

Welcome to Game Theory