ChrisBALL

BOOKS for the Course

1. Joel Watson, " Strategy: An Introduction to Game Theory (Third Edition)" I found this to be the best undergrad text to use and used it for years.  I highly recommend it.

2. Chris Ball (draft) "Modelling With Games: An Introduction to Modelling Human Behavior Using Game Theory"

​

Outline, Notes and Reading

Most of these are still based on the Watson textbook which I always used (see Book Recommendations)

​

• Introduction

  • Watson Chap 1 "Introduction"

  • Watson Chap 5 "General Assumptions and Methodology"

​

• Sequential Move Games Part I

  • Reading Ball Chap 1 "Modeling Basics"

  • Readings Watson

    • Chap 2 "The Extensive Form"​

      • Speed Trap Game and thoughts

        • A Speed Trap Game​

        • Extensions and thoughts on the Speed Trap Game

    • Chap 3 "Strategies and the Normal Form". Focus on the first part "Terminology and Notation for Strategies" and skip the Normal Form for now.​

  • ​Readings 

    • Handwritten Notes "Actions vs Strategies, Centipede Games, etc."

    • Handwritten Notes "Credibility and Entry Games"

    • Dixit Nalebuff, 1991, (p. 14 - 17) "Here I Stand" (commitment devices)

    • Dixit Nalebuff, 1992, Chap 6 (p. 142 - 167) "Credible Commitments"

  • Basic Games with numbers to look at: Eviction, Big John-Little John​, Google vs Microsoft, Dr. Strangelove

  • Practice with Extensive Games: download here and download the KEY here.

  • Practice Problems:  

    • Practice Problems 1: Mix of Extensive Form Games

​

• Handling Variables and a Slightly Different Take on How to Use Games

  • Games with variables to look at: Kidnapping and Nuisance suits

  • Reading Bargaining Problems​ and Markets

    • 02.01 Bargaining Games Pt 1

    • 02.02 Bargaining Games Pt 2

    • 02.03 (Optional) Bargaining Games Pt 3 Rubenstein

    • Watson, Chap 19 (an interested student should do the class lectures first, then read Chap 18, 19 and 20)

  • Practice Problems:  

    • Practice Problems 2: Basic Bargaining Games

​

• Sequential Move Games Part II

  • 02.04 Lemons Market 1

  • 03.01 Preferences of Individuals

  • 03.02 Preferences and Collective Choice

    • READING: Bueno de Mesquita, Chap 2 "​Collective Goals:" Scanned Chap 2 from Ethan Bueno de Mesquita's Political Economy for Public Policy (amazon link to book)​

  • 03.03 Preferences and Utility

  • 03.04 Utility and Uncertainty

  • 03.05 Strategic Voting

  • 03.06 Adding Random Actions Pt 1

  • Practice Problems:  

    • Practice Problems 3: Preferences (SKIP) and Strategic Voting

    • Practice Problems: Symmetric Info and Random Outcomes

​

• Sequential Move Pt III: Principal Agent and Randomness

  • 04.01 Principal Agent Models 1 Linear Util and Certainty

  • 04.02 Principal Agent Models 2 Linear Util and Uncertainty

  • Extensions of the Principal Agent Model (not covered in class, Fall 2021, but totally doable)

    • 04.03 Principal Agent Models 3 NonLinear Util and Uncertainty

    • 04.05 Principal Agent Models 4 Extensions and Applications

    • 04.06 Princ Agents and Cheap Talk

    • 04.07 Princ Agents and Ultimatum

  • Practice Problems:  

    • ​Practice Problems  - Principal Agent Games

​

MIDTERM Exam:

​

• Sequential Move Games Part III: Randomness 2

  • Types and Adding Randomness early in the game​

  • How Lemons Destroy Markets and What Can Be Done

  • Bayesian Asymmetric Information Games

    • 05.01 Signaling Models 1 Gifts and Beliefs

    • 05.02 Signaling Models 2 Basic Lemons (again)

    • 05.03 Signaling Models 3 Education

    • Education Signaling Game (download)​​

  • Practice Problems:  

    • Practice Problems - Information Games

​

• Simultaneous Move Games Part I

  • Strategic Form Games and Pure Nash Equilibria

    • 06.01 Simultaneous Moves Part 1

    • 06.02 Simultaneous Moves Part 2

    • 06.03 Simultaneous Moves Part 3 Some Classic Games

  • Sequential and Simultaneous Games: SPE again

    • 06.04 Simultaneous Games: SPE and Nash

  • Practice Problems:  

    • Practice Problems - Simultaneous Games to Practice

    • Practice Problems - More Simultaneous Games to Practice

​

• Simultaneous Move Games Part II​

  • ​Mixed Nash

    • 06.05 Simultaneous Games and Mixed Nash

    • 06.06 Calculating Mixed Nash and Looking at Dominated Strategies

  • Practice Problems:  

    • Practice Problems - Mixed Nash 2022

  • Dominance Solvable Games: Location Games

    • 06.07 Dominated Solvability and Rationalizable

    • 06.08 Three Player Games

  • Practice Problems:  

    • Practice Problems - Location Games

  • Contracting and Law in Games

    • Notes are Watson Chap 13

    • My Notes: Contracting and Enforcement Pt 1

    • My Notes: Contracting and Enforcement Pt 2

    • My Notes: Contracting and Enforcement Pt 3: Court Remedies

  • Practice Problems:  

    • Practice Problems - Contracting

​

FINAL Exam:

Final Paper Due...

​