ECO 355/AMS 335 Game Theory

ECO 355/AMS 335 Game Theory

Summer 2020 (Session I - Online)

INSTRUCTOR

Marc Claveria Mayol

• Email: [email protected]

• Office Hours: Wednesday and Thursday from 9:00am to 10:00am EST

Meeting ID 937 1950 7069; Passcode: 100795

https://stonybrook.zoom.us/j/93719507069?pwd=S2dYenZidXJVcGZSOExrR0puaVpFdz09

Appointments can be scheduled at different times upon request via email.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Game theory is the study of strategic interaction between several decision makers. We study the main equilibrium concepts for non-cooperative games in both static and dynamic settings with complete information: iterated strict dominance, rationalizability, Nash equilibrium, backward induction, and subgame perfection. We discuss applications to bargaining, repeated games, and multi stage games drawing examples from politics, market competition, advertising, finance, labor markets, parlor games, and sports.

Statement about Course Delivery/Modality

This is an asynchronous, online course, delivered in the Blackboard learning management system (LMS). Students must be mindful of all course expectations, deliverables, and due dates. Note that all times and deadline will be on Eastern Standard Time (EST). All assignments and course interactions will utilize internet technologies.

Prerequisites

MAT 126 or 131 or 141 or AMS 151; C or higher in ECO 303.

Course Material

The course will follow the textbook closely. Slides will be provided for each Module complement-ing the book chapters. As the first few chapters of the book are available online, I suggest you first try to use the slides as the main course material and, if needed, the book to complement those. The slides and problem sets will be enough to get a good grade, and they will save you money! However, if you end up liking the book better, you might want to buy it.

Recommended Textbook. Game Theory: An Introduction by Steven Tadelis, Princeton Univer-sity Press, 2013

We will follow the textbook closely. The first few chapters (first half of the course) are freely available online:

http://assets.press.princeton.edu/releases/tadelis/game-theory-tadelis-part1.pdf

http://assets.press.princeton.edu/releases/tadelis/game-theory-tadelis-part2.pdf

A partial solution manual is available here:

http://assets.press.princeton.edu/chapters/sm10001.pdf

Preferred Method of Contact with the Instructor

My preferred method of contact is via email. Please be sure to include your full name and “GT summer 2021” in the subject line when you send me an email. I strive to respond to your emails as soon as possible, but please allow me between 24-48 hours for a response. Please utilize your Stony Brook University email when getting in touch with me as that it is the preferred method of contact from the institution.

Grading Policy

Your grade in this class will be based on your performance in problem sets (25%), two exams (50%), and participation in the discussion board (25%).

Problem sets. (25%) Homework will be assessed coarsely. Effort level and accuracy are both valued. Late submissions will NOT be accepted. Any suspicions of cheating will be taken extremely serious and reported to the Academic Judiciary for possible dishonesty. See section on Academic Integrity.

Discussion Board. (25%) Students will have to participate in the Module’s discussion board by creating their own post on the topic at hand and by commenting on classmate’s posts.

1. At the beginning of the course, you will be asked to introduce themselves. (Not graded)

2. In each module there will be a discussion question which you will need to respond to. It will be related to the topic of the Module. Moreover, you will be required to respond to at least one of your peers’ responses. Polite, constructive and well-argued comments are the only responses accepted. No responses or short responses such as “I agree” or “You are right” will not be graded. (Graded)

3. There will be an anonymous feedback forum where you can let me know your grievances related to the course. This will help us make the course better. (Not graded)

4. There will also be a general questions forum where you can post any query related to the course. This will help other fellow students who might have the same question. (Not graded)

Caution. The deadlines for the tasks within each module are strictly enforced. All assignments are due at 11:59 pm EST on their respective due date. To avoid last minute technical problems, it is recommended that you complete the requirements of the module with some time to spare.

Exams. (50%) Exams are open book, and calculator use is permitted. You are not allowed to collaborate on or seek outside help for exams. Note that exams will be synchronous. You will be required to login to a zoom meeting, with your camera on at all times. You will have 90 minutes to finish the exam. Any evidence of academic dishonesty will be reported to the appropriate office and you will be recommended to get at least an F. See section on Academic Integrity.

• First Exam (25%). June 14th, 8:30am - 11:00am EST.

https://stonybrook.zoom.us/j/92735854083?pwd=aUpPWmZ1emgwNllWak11a0RtR0JPQT09

Meeting ID: 927 3585 4083; Passcode: 374727

• Second Exam (25%). July 3rd, 8:30am - 11:00am EST.

https://stonybrook.zoom.us/j/91969341806?pwd=UzExMFh6WnJDYkhWbEpodCtHa3ZLQT0

Meeting ID: 919 6934 1806; Passcode: 088518

Problem sets and exams will be posted on Blackboard, and you should upload your solutions as a single PDF file on Blackboard (you can use a free app like Genius Scan or CamScanner to scan your handwritten answers with your phone or type up your answers). Late submissions will not be accepted. There will be no makeup exams.

Course Schedule

The course is composed of 7 different Modules and there will be two exams. In each Module, you are supposed to finish the learning materials and complete the assignment within the duration of the module. The links to each Module will be available 2 days before the start date. The deadline for each task in the module is 11:59pm EST on the end date. Exams will consist of a review day and an exam day.

Note that Module can have different length. It is your responsibility to be aware of this. Moreover, you should check the page of the course on Blackboard, at least, at the beginning of the module AND a day before the end of the Module. By the end of each Module, you must have:

• Read and understood the slides. If needed, complement those with the book chapter assigned to the Module.

• Join the discussion forum.

• Complete the Module’s problem set.

• If you have any doubts, attend office hours and/or send me an email with your doubts!

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS AND ASSISTANCE

Technical Requirements

For this course you must have access to the Internet and an active Stony Brook University e-mail account. You are responsible for having a reliable computer and internet connection throughout the course. You will need to have access to, and be able to use, the following software.

The following list details a minimum recommended computer set-up and the software packages you will need to have access to, and be able to use:

• PC with Windows 10.3

• Macintosh with OS 10.13 or higher

• High speed internet connection

• 8 GB RAM

• Printer

• Scanner or camera (To convert your solution to the electronic version)

• Latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Explorer (A complete list of supported browsers and operating systems can be found on the My Institution tab of the Blackboard website.)

• Word processing software (Microsoft Word)

• Adobe acrobat reader (free)

Technical Assistance

If you need technical assistance at any time during the course or to report a problem with Blackboard you can:

• Submit a help ticket at http://it.stonybrook..edu/services/itsm

• Call (631) 632-9800 for technical support, log-in issues, computer support, Wi-Fi, software & hardware.

• Call (631) 2-CELT for Blackboard specific issues

ACADEMIC POLICIES

Student Accessibility Support Center

If you have a physical, psychological, medical, or learning disability that may impact your course work, please contact the Student Accessibility Support Center, 128 ECC Building, (631) 632-6748, or at [email protected]. They will determine with you what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation is confidential.

Academic Integrity

Each student must pursue his or her academic goals honestly and be personally accountable for all submitted work. Representing another person’s work as your own is always wrong. Faculty is required to report any suspected instances of academic dishonesty to the Academic Judiciary. Faculty in the Health Sciences Center (School of Health Technology & Management, Nursing, Social Welfare, and Dental Medicine) and School of Medicine are required to follow their school-specific procedures. For more comprehensive information on academic integrity, including categories of academic dishonesty, please refer to the academic judiciary website at http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/academic_integrity/index.html.

Critical Incident Management

Stony Brook University expects students to respect the rights, privileges, and property of other people. Faculty are required to report to the Office of University Community Standards any disruptive behavior that interrupts their ability to teach, compromises the safety of the learning environment, or inhibits students’ ability to learn. Faculty in the HSC Schools and the School of Medicine are required to follow their school-specific procedures. Further information about most academic matters can be found in the Undergraduate Bulletin, the Undergraduate Class Schedule, and the Faculty-Employee Handbook.

Course Material and Copyright Statement

Course material accessed from Blackboard, SB Connect, SB Capture or a Stony Brook Course website is for the exclusive use of students who are currently enrolled in the course. Content from these systems cannot be reused or distributed without written permission of the instructor and/or the copyright holder. Duplication of materials protected by copyright, without permis-sion of the copyright holder is a violation of the Federal copyright law, as well as a violation of Stony Brook’s Academic Integrity and Student Conduct Codes.

http://studentaffairs.stonybrook.edu/ucs/docs/universitystudentconductcode.pdf