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Econ/CIS/Bio 166A // Prof. Dan Friedman

Game Theory

The course introduces students to modern game theory, including applications in social science, biology and engineering. Students are expected to have declared a major in Engineering, Physical and Biological Sciences, or Social Sciences, and to be able to use the tools of differential calculus and basic probability theory.

Spring 2008 is the first time the course has been offered. Students this quarter will help shape the course for future generations of UCSC students.

The teaching assistant is Luba Petersen.

• Her office hours are Wednesday 12:30 - 2 pm. in E2 403B.

• Review Session for Midterm: Soc Sci I 110 from 12:30-2-30pm Wednesday April 30.

• Email address: lspeters@ucsc.edu.

The instructor is Dan Friedman. His office hours are MW 2-3:30pm, and by appointment, in 417 Engineering 2.

Extensive Form Diagrammer

James Pettit has released a small application to turn mathematical extensive form notations to nice-looking diagrams for use in homework or analysis. You can find it here, along with some examples from class to help get you started.

Review Session for Midterm Soc Sci I 110 from 12:30-2-30pm Wednesday April 30.

For Binmore's comment on Axelrod's RPD tournament, see this website: Binmore.

Final Review Session

12:30-2:30pm, Friday June 6th, in Soc Sci II 179.

Term Projects due noon Monday June 9 in 417 E2. Be sure to turn in two (2) copies!

Readings // All // //

• Answer key to final exam // Posted on 2008-06-14

  • Take a look at the official answers. The mean score on the exam was 69, somewhat higher than for most of my undergraduate classes. The standard deviation was 11.
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• Term Projects Groundrules // Posted on 2008-06-06

  • Due dates, guidelines, etc for the term project.
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• Final Practice Problems // Posted on 2008-06-02

  • This is a set of practice problems for the final. May change depending on demand/suggestions in class, so keep watch!
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• replicator spreadsheet // Posted on 2008-05-22

  • This spreadsheet performs the replicator calculations for problem 5. It can be readily modified to do other problems, especially 3x3 symmetric games.
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• presentation schedule // Posted on 2008-05-20

  • Take a look at this preliminary version. You can trade with another group of about the same size as yours, if both are agreeable.
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• comment form // Posted on 2008-05-20

  • You will use this form to earn participation points. Your comments will be passed on (anonymously) to the presenters.
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• Problem Set #3 // Posted on 2008-05-16

  • A re-updated version of the third problem set. * You may turn it in Wednesday May 21, but you get a bonus point if you turn it in on time on Monday. * Your group's progress report on the term project is due Monday
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• Evolutionary Games primer // Posted on 2008-05-11

  • This primer on evolutionary games was written for graduate students, but it may be worthwhile to look it over anyway. Try page 29-30 (the 15-16th pages of the file) for a start.
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• RPD data // Posted on 2008-05-06

  • An excel spreadsheet with data from the RPD game played in class Monday May 5.
  • - download

• RPD game instructions // Posted on 2008-05-06

  • Official instructions for the RPD game played in class 5/5
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• card games // Posted on 2008-04-28

  • The rules and score sheets for 4 Card Barry and Pursuer-Evader games played in class Friday April 25.
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• Evader-Pursuer data // Posted on 2008-04-26

  • A pdf file for the choices made by all teams in class Friday April 25.
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• Four Card Barry data // Posted on 2008-04-26

  • A pdf file for the choices made by all teams in class Friday April 25.
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• Practice Problems // Posted on 2008-04-23

  • Try solving these problems to practice for the midterm. Do not turn them in. Solutions will be posted Wednesday April 30.
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• Solutions for PS #1 // Posted on 2008-04-21

  • The official solutions can be downladed below.
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• Traffic // Posted on 2008-04-20

  • The PowerPoint slides in handout format for John Musacchio's guest lecture April 16. You can find a laboratory experiment on this topic described [here.](http://faculty.haas.berkeley.edu/rjmorgan/traffic.pdf)
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• Problem Set #2 // Posted on 2008-04-17

  • Solutions to these problems are due in class Friday April 25, but don't wait until then to start working on them!
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• RPSD data // Posted on 2008-04-09

  • The spreadsheet summarizes the strategies chosen in the RPSD game in class on April 9.
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• RPSD rules // Posted on 2008-04-09

  • A copy of the rules distributed in class April 9 for the RPSD game.
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• Quadruped Games // Posted on 2008-04-06

  • These games were played in class Friday April 4. The record sheet should be turned in as part of Problem Set #1.
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• Problem Set #1 // Posted on 2008-03-30

  • Solutions to these problems are due in class Monday April 14, but don't wait until then to start working on them!
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• the motivation game // Posted on 2008-03-30

  • This game was played in class Monday March 31. The record sheet should be turned in as part of Problem Set #1.
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• syllabus // Posted on 2008-02-29

  • The current version of course syllabus.
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• bibliography // Posted on 2008-02-01

  • A list of books on game theory, with comments by DF.
  • - download