Games

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• the central analytical methods in game theory
• application of game theory to applied questions and the analysis of economic policy
• relevant behavioural phenomena that affect economic choices in games

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• abstract the essential features of strategic interaction to games to assess and evaluate effects of policy and exogenous changes
• derive optimal and predict actual behavioural choices in strategic environments
• apply logical analysis to game theoretic models and make use of inductive reasoning to solve them

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Communicate logical arguments through mathematical and verbal explanations
• recognise problems and possible solutions associated with interaction in groups and local public goods

• Normal form games, dominance and Nash equilibrium; applications to public goods,

externalities, oligopoly.

• Extensive form games and applications to moral hazard, bargaining, cooperation
• Incomplete information and application to auctions, lemon markets and signalling, voting. The

scope of related government policies.

Teaching and learning methods

Lectures, masterclasses, classroom experiments. Working in groups will be encouraged.

Resources & Reading list

Textbooks

Tadelis, S. (2013). Game Theory: An Introduction. Princeton University Press.

M.J. Osborne (2003). Introduction to Game Theory. Oxford University Press.

P.K. Dutta (1999). Strategies and Games. Theory and Practice. MIT Press.

Assessment strategy

Two take-home problem sets throughout the semester and a final exam at the end of the semester, supported by continuous formative assessment in form of problem sets and experiments. This is the same for internal repeats. Referral and external repeat assessment are through 100% final exam.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External