Game Theory 101: the Rationality of War

Game Theory 101: the Rationality of War
Author: William Spaniel
Publisher:
Total Pages: 198
Release: 2014-08-06
Genre:
ISBN: 9781500685652

William Spaniel, author of Game Theory 101: The Complete Textbook, returns with a compelling exploration of the origins of war. Using the same crystal clear logic of the Game Theory 101 series, he investigates important questions about war, including: Can two perfectly intelligent, perfectly unbiased leaders still send their countries to war with each other? Why has Iran taken its nuclear program underground (literally)? Why did the United States--the clear victors of the Spanish-American War--nevertheless write a check for more than $500 million to make Spain surrender? Why do most interstate wars end in peaceful compromise and not the military defeat of one side? Why do virtually all civil wars end the opposite way, and what makes the few peacefully settled civil wars different from the rest? How do nuclear weapons--humanity's deadliest creations--paradoxically keep the peace? Why is war the worst possible outcome of a crisis negotiation? What is the difference between preventive and preemptive war, and why on earth does the media use these terms interchangeably? Why are states as trustworthy as poker players at the bargaining table? Why do states willingly pick fights with stronger opponents and yet pacify weaker opponents? William Spaniel answers these questions by constructing game theoretical models of crisis bargaining. Fully illustrated, with more than 100 images, The Rationality of War will make you rethink everything you "know" about political violence. As consumers and producers of war, it is a must read for any citizen of a liberal democracy.

Game Theory 101

Game Theory 101
Author: William Spaniel
Publisher:
Total Pages: 273
Release: 2014
Genre: Game theory
ISBN: 9781492728153

Game Theory 101: The Complete Textbook is a no-nonsense, games-centered introduction to strategic form (matrix) and extensive form (game tree) games. From the first lesson to the last, this textbook introduces games of increasing complexity and then teaches the game theoretical tools necessary to solve them. Quick, efficient, and to the point, Game Theory 101: The Complete Textbook is perfect for introductory game theory, intermediate microeconomics, and political science.

The Politics of the First World War

The Politics of the First World War
Author: Scott Wolford
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 469
Release: 2019-02-21
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1108612903

The Great War is an immense, confusing and overwhelming historical conflict - the ideal case study for teaching game theory and international relations. Using thirteen historical puzzles, from the outbreak of the war and the stability of attrition, to unrestricted submarine warfare and American entry into the war, this book provides students with a rigorous yet accessible training in game theory. Each chapter shows, through guided exercises, how game theoretical models can explain otherwise challenging strategic puzzles, shedding light on the role of individual leaders in world politics, cooperation between coalitions partners, the effectiveness of international law, the termination of conflict, and the challenges of making peace. Its analytical history of World War I also surveys cutting edge political science research on international relations and the causes of war. Written by a leading game theorist known for his expertise of the war, this textbook includes useful student features such as chapter key terms, contemporary maps, a timeline of events, a list of key characters and additional end-of-chapter game-theoretic exercises.

On War

On War
Author: Carl von Clausewitz
Publisher:
Total Pages: 388
Release: 1908
Genre: Military art and science
ISBN:

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Game Theory

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Game Theory
Author: Edward C. Rosenthal Ph.D.
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 419
Release: 2011-03-01
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 1101478845

Gain some insight into the game of life... Game Theory means rigorous strategic thinking. It is based on the idea that everyone acts competitively and in his own best interest. With the help of mathematical models, it is possible to anticipate the actions of others in nearly all life's enterprises. This book includes down-to-earth examples and solutions, as well as charts and illustrations designed to help teach the concept. In The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Game Theory, Dr. Edward C. Rosenthal makes it easy to understand game theory with insights into: • The history of the discipline made popular by John Nash, the mathematician dramatized in the film A Beautiful Mind • The role of social behavior and psychology in this amazing discipline • How important game theory has become in our society and why

The Oxford Handbook of Rationality

The Oxford Handbook of Rationality
Author: Alfred R. Mele
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 498
Release: 2004-01-08
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 9780198033240

Rationality has long been a central topic in philosophy, crossing standard divisions and categories. It continues to attract much attention in published research and teaching by philosophers as well as scholars in other disciplines, including economics, psychology, and law. The Oxford Handbook of Rationality is an indispensable reference to the current state of play in this vital and interdisciplinary area of study. Twenty-two newly commissioned chapters by a roster of distinguished philosophers provide an overview of the prominent views on rationality, with each author also developing a unique and distinctive argument.

Game Theory

Game Theory
Author: Steve Tadelis
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 416
Release: 2013-01-06
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0691129088

The definitive introduction to game theory This comprehensive textbook introduces readers to the principal ideas and applications of game theory, in a style that combines rigor with accessibility. Steven Tadelis begins with a concise description of rational decision making, and goes on to discuss strategic and extensive form games with complete information, Bayesian games, and extensive form games with imperfect information. He covers a host of topics, including multistage and repeated games, bargaining theory, auctions, rent-seeking games, mechanism design, signaling games, reputation building, and information transmission games. Unlike other books on game theory, this one begins with the idea of rationality and explores its implications for multiperson decision problems through concepts like dominated strategies and rationalizability. Only then does it present the subject of Nash equilibrium and its derivatives. Game Theory is the ideal textbook for advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students. Throughout, concepts and methods are explained using real-world examples backed by precise analytic material. The book features many important applications to economics and political science, as well as numerous exercises that focus on how to formalize informal situations and then analyze them. Introduces the core ideas and applications of game theory Covers static and dynamic games, with complete and incomplete information Features a variety of examples, applications, and exercises Topics include repeated games, bargaining, auctions, signaling, reputation, and information transmission Ideal for advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students Complete solutions available to teachers and selected solutions available to students

Game Theory, Alive

Game Theory, Alive
Author: Anna R. Karlin
Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.
Total Pages: 400
Release: 2017-04-27
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 1470419823

We live in a highly connected world with multiple self-interested agents interacting and myriad opportunities for conflict and cooperation. The goal of game theory is to understand these opportunities. This book presents a rigorous introduction to the mathematics of game theory without losing sight of the joy of the subject. This is done by focusing on theoretical highlights (e.g., at least six Nobel Prize winning results are developed from scratch) and by presenting exciting connections of game theory to other fields such as computer science (algorithmic game theory), economics (auctions and matching markets), social choice (voting theory), biology (signaling and evolutionary stability), and learning theory. Both classical topics, such as zero-sum games, and modern topics, such as sponsored search auctions, are covered. Along the way, beautiful mathematical tools used in game theory are introduced, including convexity, fixed-point theorems, and probabilistic arguments. The book is appropriate for a first course in game theory at either the undergraduate or graduate level, whether in mathematics, economics, computer science, or statistics. The importance of game-theoretic thinking transcends the academic setting—for every action we take, we must consider not only its direct effects, but also how it influences the incentives of others.

Political Game Theory

Political Game Theory
Author: Nolan McCarty
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2014-10-30
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9781107438637

Political Game Theory is a self-contained introduction to game theory and its applications to political science. The book presents choice theory, social choice theory, static and dynamic games of complete information, static and dynamic games of incomplete information, repeated games, bargaining theory, mechanism design and a mathematical appendix covering, logic, real analysis, calculus and probability theory. The methods employed have many applications in various disciplines including comparative politics, international relations and American politics. Political Game Theory is tailored to students without extensive backgrounds in mathematics, and traditional economics, however there are also many special sections that present technical material that will appeal to more advanced students. A large number of exercises are also provided to practice the skills and techniques discussed.

How Reason Almost Lost Its Mind

How Reason Almost Lost Its Mind
Author: Paul Erickson
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 268
Release: 2013-11-22
Genre: History
ISBN: 022604677X

In the United States at the height of the Cold War, roughly between the end of World War II and the early 1980s, a new project of redefining rationality commanded the attention of sharp minds, powerful politicians, wealthy foundations, and top military brass. Its home was the human sciences—psychology, sociology, political science, and economics, among others—and its participants enlisted in an intellectual campaign to figure out what rationality should mean and how it could be deployed. How Reason Almost Lost Its Mind brings to life the people—Herbert Simon, Oskar Morgenstern, Herman Kahn, Anatol Rapoport, Thomas Schelling, and many others—and places, including the RAND Corporation, the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, the Cowles Commission for Research and Economics, and the Council on Foreign Relations, that played a key role in putting forth a “Cold War rationality.” Decision makers harnessed this picture of rationality—optimizing, formal, algorithmic, and mechanical—in their quest to understand phenomena as diverse as economic transactions, biological evolution, political elections, international relations, and military strategy. The authors chronicle and illuminate what it meant to be rational in the age of nuclear brinkmanship.