STATISTICS 473/ECONOMICS 473
Game Theory
Spring 2016
Instructor: David Marker
Class Meets: TR 11:00-12:15 Taft Hall 216
Office: 404 SEO
Office Hours: M 1-2, W 9-11
phone: (312) 996-3069
e-mail: marker@math.uic.edu
course webpage: http://www.math.uic.edu/~marker/stat473-S16
This webpage will be the primary source for problem sets and course handouts.
There will also be a course site on UIC Blackboard where I will post solutions
to homework and grade information.
Text
- Prajit Dutta, Strategies and Games, MIT Press, Cambridge, 1999.
Another useful book is Steven Tadelis, Game Theory: An Introduction, Princeton University Press, New York, Oxford, 2013.
Prerequisites
The formal mathematical prerequisites are minimal, but the
course will be fairly rigorous and will require the ability to follow closely reasoned
arguments and solve problems.
Students should have some familiarity with
- basic probability--expectation, Bayes rule
- basic calculus--particularly using calculus to find maximums and minimums
If you are unsure if you have necessary background, please consult with the instructor.
Description
Game Theory is the study of mathematical models of strategic decision making
with interacting decision makers.
This course will introduce the main concepts and tools of the subjects. The course will focus more on
concepts and illustrative examples than mathematical theory
The topics covered will include:
- Strategic games, mixed strategies, Nash equilibrium, minimax strategies in zero sum games;
- Extensive games of perfect information;
- Repeated games;
- Bayesian games;
- Extensive games of imperfect information;
- If time permits, additional topics will be chosen based on the interests of the class. Possible additional topics include
evolutionary games, cooperative games and bargaining.
For more details consult the week-by-week syllabus
Problem Sets
- There will be frequent problem sets that will be collected and graded. The two lowest grades will be dropped. Late homework will be accepted only in exceptional circumstances.
For full credit problem sets must be written carefully and clearly.
- You may discuss homework problems with other students, but you must write up your solution independently.
- Solutions to Problem Sets will be posted on the course Blackboard webpage.
Grading
There will be two midterm exams and a final. The final grade will be based 20% on the problem sets, each midterm exam will count
25% and the final will count 30%.
Midterm 1: Thursday February 25
Midterm 2: Thursday April 7
Final Exam: Monday May 2 10:30-12:30
Handouts and Useful Links
David Marker's homepage
Last Revised: 03/30/16