Online: Self-paced

Course Description

Often in life we need to make decisions, and most of these decisions aren't made in a vacuum. During this course, we will talk about strategies, big and small. Some examples include: when to leave home to beat the traffic; when to show rock, paper or scissors; whether to ask someone out; or when to launch a surprise attack on enemy headquarters. 
 
We will also explore the concept of cooperation: whether someone uses the recycling bins properly; turns off their high beams at night when another car is approaching or gets up and goes to vote when the day comes (even if it is raining outside). Cooperative behaviour - or the lack of - comes about as a result of the many games we, humans, play every day without giving it much thought. By studying game theory, we understand both society and ourselves a little bit better. Game theory offers a framework to understand and map decisions in a useful and actionable way.