This course provides a brief introduction to game theory. Our main goal is to understand the basic ideas behind the key concepts in game theory, such as equilibrium, rationality, and cooperation. The course uses very little mathematics, and it is ideal for those who are looking for a conceptual introduction to game theory.
Welcome to Game Theory
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4.7
(1,975 reviews)
Beginner level
No prior experience required
Flexible schedule
Approx. 20 hours
Learn at your own pace
95%
Most learners liked this course
What you'll learn
The reason why we need game theory to analyze social problems
Nash equilibrium as a unified solution concept and the reason why players come to play Nash equilibrium
The relationship between intellectual capacity of players and Nash equilibrium
The relationship between the rationality of individuals and socially desirable outcomes
Skills you'll gain
Details to know
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Assessments
20 assignments
Taught in English
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There are 4 modules in this course
Is it possible to analyze a wide variety of social and economic problems using a unified framework? In the first module, we address this question. We will see that the concept of rational decision making is useful, but it is not quite sufficient to provide governing principles. Motivated examples and some history of game theory will be provided. You will also be asked to play a simple card game to see how it feels to make your decisions strategically.
What's included
12 videos6 readings5 assignments
The basic solution concept of game theory is Nash equilibrium. In Module 2, we try to understand this central concept through various examples and ask the following crucial question: how do players come to play a Nash equilibrium?
What's included
10 videos1 reading5 assignments
In Module 3, we will dig deeper into the relationship between rationality and Nash equilibrium. We will consider the whole spectrum of possible intellectual capacities of players, spanning the range from unlimited ability for sophisticated reasoning to absolute zero intelligence. In the end, you will see that Nash equilibrium can emerge under a fairly wide range of intellectual capacities of players.
What's included
9 videos3 readings5 assignments
The final module is devoted to the most important and most general message of game theory: rational behavior quite often leads to a socially undesirable outcome. We will first try to understand the basic reason for this, and then see how this insight of game theory has made fundamental impacts in the natural and social sciences. Finally, we will learn some general methods to overcome this problem.
What's included
11 videos2 readings5 assignments
Instructor
Instructor ratings
4.8 (393 ratings)
Offered by
Recommended if you're interested in Economics
Arizona State University
Johns Hopkins University
University of Colorado Boulder
Stanford University
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4.7
1,975 reviews
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Showing 3 of 1975
LY
5
Reviewed on Dec 16, 2017
Simple to follow, focuses on introducing basic concepts rather than the math. Could be more in-depth though. Nonetheless, great precursor to the Game Theory course from Stanford.
QS
5
Reviewed on Apr 8, 2021
An excellent introduction to Game Theory! Very engaging and easy to follow. Many thanks to the professor, the univeristy of Tokyo and Coursera for making this available for free!
SZ
5
Reviewed on Aug 3, 2020
It actually took sometime to me to complete this course. However it was a great learning experience for me. I think it will help me in future to pursue my career.
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Frequently asked questions
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