Game Theory II: Advanced Applications

Stanford University via Coursera

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/game-theory-2

Introduction

### Course Review: Game Theory II: Advanced Applications **Platform**: Coursera **Duration**: 4 weeks **Level**: Advanced **Instructors**: [Insert Instructor Names] **Recommended For**: Students with a foundational understanding of game theory --- #### Overview Game Theory has seen significant cultural and academic resonance, especially due to its dramatization in films like "A Beautiful Mind." However, beyond the cinematic representation lies a complex and fascinating field. "Game Theory II: Advanced Applications" on Coursera dives into mathematical models that describe strategic interactions among rational and irrational agents, enhancing your understanding of collective decision-making and improving social outcomes. This four-week course is designed for individuals well-versed in the basics of game theory, who are ready to tackle advanced concepts and their real-world applications. Each week introduces essential topics for understanding how to structure interactions effectively. #### Course Breakdown ##### Week 1: Social Choice The course kicks off with an introduction to social choice theory, which examines how societies aggregate individual preferences to make collective decisions. This week delves into various voting systems, exploring their strengths and weaknesses. You will learn about key concepts such as fairness, strategy-proofness, and the implications of different electoral systems, equipping you with the tools to critically evaluate real-world voting mechanisms. ##### Week 2: Mechanism Design In the second week, the focus shifts to mechanism design - the art of creating rules to lead to desired outcomes. This concept is pivotal in fields such as economics and political science. Here, you will discover how to construct mechanisms that align individual incentives with social goals, and you will explore real-life applications, such as public goods provision and regulatory frameworks. ##### Week 3: Efficient Mechanisms Building on the previous weeks, the third week introduces efficient mechanisms. You will engage with the principles of efficiency and learn how to evaluate mechanisms based on their ability to achieve optimal outcomes. This involves examining the trade-offs between individual rationality and collective welfare, a key challenge in the design of social institutions. ##### Week 4: Auctions The final week is dedicated to understanding auctions - a prevalent mechanism for resource allocation. You will analyze different auction formats (e.g., English, Dutch, sealed-bid) and their results, gaining insights into bidder behavior and revenue generation. This knowledge proves invaluable, particularly for those interested in economics, finance, and policy-making. ##### Final Exam At the end of the course, students will face a final exam designed to test their grasp of the concepts covered. It emphasizes practical applications of theoretical knowledge, ensuring that you leave the course equipped to apply game theory principles in various contexts. --- #### Overall Impression "Game Theory II: Advanced Applications" offers a rigorous exploration of advanced game theory topics, providing learners with both theoretical foundations and practical applications. The course is well-structured, balancing lectures and problem sets that challenge participants to think critically. Instructors clearly explain complex concepts, aided by real-world examples that bring the material to life. The interactive format of Coursera allows for discussions and collaborations with fellow learners, enriching the experience further. Overall, this course is an excellent resource for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of strategic interaction and decision-making processes. #### Recommendation I highly recommend "Game Theory II: Advanced Applications" for students and professionals in economics, political science, data science, and related fields. This course will not only enhance your analytical skills but also provide a broader perspective on the strategic aspects of social interactions. For anyone aiming to become a proficient problem-solver in complex situations and improve their understanding of social decision-making, enrolling in this course is a step in the right direction. Whether you're looking to expand your academic knowledge or seeking practical insights for your professional life, this course is a valuable addition to your learning journey. --- In conclusion, if you aspire to unlock the potential of game theory and understand how to design effective mechanisms in social settings, don't miss the opportunity to enroll in "Game Theory II: Advanced Applications" on Coursera!

Syllabus

Social Choice

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Mechanism Design

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Efficient Mechanisms

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Auctions

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Final Exam

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Overview

Popularized by movies such as "A Beautiful Mind", game theory is the mathematical modeling of strategic interaction among rational (and irrational) agents. Over four weeks of lectures, this advanced course considers how to design interactions between agents in order to achieve good social outcomes. Three main topics are covered: social choice theory (i.e., collective decision making and voting systems), mechanism design, and auctions. In the first week we consider the problem of aggregating d

Skills

Reviews

Great course. Very relevant to a lot of problems in business. Content was overtly mathematical. More practical examples cold have been interesting to solve.

I learned strategic thinking and how to make applied that in real world with various Game Theory methods. Thanks

Great course. Nice retracing of some notions of the course Game Theory like Pareto Oprimality. Nice idea doing some examples on auctions and voting systems. Nice proofs

Very interesting and challenging... I wish there were more practical/real-world examples to learn the concepts but I was very glad to take this course

Great learning experience, one advice is to show the working of the solutions of the problem sets