ECON 435 Applied Game Theory

Game theory is an important tool in modern economic analysis. It has been used widely to help improve our understanding of strategic interactions commonly observed in business, economic, political, and social environments. This course provides an introduction to game theory, drawing on applications from various disciplines, including economics, accounting, finance, management, marketing, international relations, political science, and sports. The content of the course covers the basic solution concepts of game theoretical analysis and illustrates the use of these concepts to study topics on (among others) preemption and entry deterrence in markets, reputation building and cooperation in teams, ability signaling in the education and the labor market, and skepticism in strategic communication and persuasion. This course will be important for students with intentions to pursue advance degrees in Economics or related fields. It is also suitable for anyone who is curious about understanding human strategic interactions more generally.