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Game Theory

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GoldenGoose posted on Sat, Jun 25 2011 1:15 AM

Anyone know of a great introductory book on Game Theory?

 

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You might contact Bob Murphy about this one.  Game theory was his major at NYU.

 

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And then you can post the results here.

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OK, I contacted him and will post his response.

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Well, at least I got a quick answer - here is his response.

 'I do know a lot about game theory, but sorry I never found a good introductory book. I just used notes that I typed up when I taught it at the undergrad level.'

Someone on here has got to know.

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Well, at least I got a quick answer - here is his response.

'I do know a lot about game theory, but sorry I never found a good introductory book. I just used notes that I typed up when I taught it at the undergrad level.'

Someone on here has got to know

Varian's book has two chapters on game theory that are a decent enough introduction at the very basic level. Besides that two seconds of Googling pulled up this http://www.gametheory.net/

 

 

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MaikU replied on Sat, Jun 25 2011 12:59 PM

http://academicearth.org/courses/game-theory

 

Personally I saw only one lesson, but it's quite interesting. Take a look

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(english is not my native language, sorry for grammar.)

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Speaking of Varian, the 7th edition is now up for free on scribd, so we can't blame IP for not reading it:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/24971692/Hal-Varian-Intermediate-Microeconomics-7th-Edition

 

Varian seems to covers the economically interesting applications of game theory vis a vis the Bertrand and Cournot models of oligopoly before introducing game theory proper. I think it makes more sense for an undergraduate course to cover things the other way round, at least that was the way we were introduced to game theory and its applications. (I think I would have preferred something with a bit more of a rigorous approach than Varian however)

 

Not that I think this is a good thing, but to me it seems Mises' section on monopoly in HA as well as being fairly original in its own right, draws influence from Cournot et al.

"When the King is far the people are happy."  Chinese proverb

For Alexander Zinoviev and the free market there is a shared delight:

"Where there are problems there is life."

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Well, it's not a book, but here's an interesting intro to a game theory concept, and an application to foreign policy...

 

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Another one slightly similar to game theory is the parable of the tribes.

"Imagine a group of tribes living next to one another. If all choose the way of peace, then all may live in peace. But what if all but one choose peace, and that one is ambitious for expansion and conquest?"

The peaceful tribes have three choices:

  1. surrender,
  2. flee,
  3. fight back.

All three choices lead to negative outcomes.

 

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The peaceful tribes have three choices:

One thing that bothers me in game theory (or rather its applications) is the perceived notion of closed or frozen world, with all the moves/options predefined. Players, for some reason, never have ability to communicate in order to promise and/or threaten. Even Schelling and his theory of conflict add but one layer of communication on top of fixed moves - but the matter of fact is that the moves in real life are not predestined, humans create unlimited number of options by their interaction.

The Voluntaryist Reader - read, comment, post your own.
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bbnet replied on Tue, Jun 28 2011 6:03 PM

The best book on poker devotes a chapter to it -

The Theory of Poker -  David Sklansky

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And we are not sent here by the politicians you drink with - L. Dube, rip

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I'm gonna say "best" is relative depending on your goals.  I lean toward Super System.

 

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I found the book on game theory in this series a powerful introduction.

 

http://www.veryshortintroductions.co.uk/flash.php

 

I stubled across the book somewhere deep in my university library, not sure where you can find a copy.

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A playlist of videos taught about it.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM3rTU927io&feature=list_related&playnext=1&list=SP6EF60E1027E1A10B

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