An Introduction to Game Theory - Online

Game theory serves as a tool for analysing conflict situations, for identifying the principles behind stable outcomes, and for working out how particular responses might be brought about; its roots lie in philosophy, economics, and mathematics, with growing use in management and politics as well as in decision-making and policy more broadly. The course introduces the approach, concepts, and methods of game theory through simple puzzles developed over nearly two decades of teaching, together with newspaper articles on present-day societal problems, giving students practice applying game-theoretic tools to real cases. Abstract concepts normally bound up in complex mathematics are explained instead through cartoons, newspaper texts, and puzzles, making the material accessible to those who lack formal training in mathematics or economics, with logic placed at the centre of the analysis throughout.