Game Theory

What is Game Theory?

Game theory is the study of mathematical models of strategic interaction between rational decision-makers. It is a branch of mathematics that is widely used in economics, political science, and psychology to analyze situations in which the outcome depends on the actions of two or more independent and rational actors.

In game theory, the actors are typically referred to as "players," and the situation is referred to as a "game." Each player has a set of possible actions, known as strategies, and the goal is to determine the optimal strategy for each player given the strategies of the other players. In some games, the outcome for each player is determined by a fixed set of rules, while in others the outcome depends on the actions of the other players.

The most common solution concept used in game theory is the Nash equilibrium, which is a set of strategies where no player can improve their outcome by changing their strategy while the others keep theirs.

Some examples of scenarios that can be studied with game theory are:

• a duopoly (two companies competing against each other)
• a prisoner's dilemma (two suspects arrested by the police)
• an auction

Game theory allows us to model different kinds of situations where the outcome depends on the choices of multiple parties, and it is a powerful tool to understand and predict the behavior of rational actors in strategic situations.