Game Theory

This course covers contents from a standard first-year graduate-level
course in noncooperative game theory, repackaged and simplified for a target audience of
doctoral students in management. It has also a fresh mandate to branch out over modern
treatments in organisational economics.

To learn how to analyze interactions and to apply game theory.

You are expected to be familiar with standard material in analysis and
probability at the level of Chapter 19 in Tadelis (2013). This is required summer reading.
Some previous knowledge of game theory is expected, roughly equivalent to Part I and II
of Tadelis (2013). Part I will be taken for granted: this is required summer reading. Part II
will be covered in class at a brisk pace; for students unfamiliar with game theory, this is
recommended summer reading.

Static games; Rationality; Nash equilibrium; Mixed strategies; Dynamic games; Sequential rationality; Bayesian games; Auctions; Incomplete information; Signaling games; Repeated Games; Information and cheap talk..

The textbook for this class is Tadelis (2013).

Other useful readings are:


• S. Tadelis (2013), Game Theory: An Introduction, Princeton University Press.
• R.. Gibbons and J. Roberts (2013), The Handbook of Organizational Economics,
Princeton University Press.
There are several alternative presentations, with different degrees of difficulty. Here are a
few suggestions, as well as a good source of solved exercises (available only in Italian, alas).
• G.A. Jehle and P.J. Reny (2011), Advanced Microeconomic Theory, third edition,
Addison-Wesley.[Chapters 7 and 9.]
• M. Maschler, E. Solan and S. Zamir (2013), Game Theory, Cambridge University
Press.
• M.J. Osborne and A. Rubinstein (1994), A Course in Game Theory, The MIT Press.
• M. LiCalzi (1995), Teoria dei Giochi, Etas-Kompass. (Collection of solved exercises.)
Summer reading (Required)
• S. Tadelis (2013), Game Theory: An Introduction, Princeton University Press. [Part I
and Chapter 19.]
Summer reading (Recommended)
• S. Tadelis (2013), Game Theory: An Introduction, Princeton University Press. [Part II.]

The grade is obtaned as the addition of:

- class presence 5%
- discussion of homeworks and readings 25%
- written exam 70%

A passing grade is equal or superior to 60% of total available points.

- lectures and practise sessions
- weekly homework
- readings
- weekly meetings with discussion of homeworks and readings

English

For more information and updates, trust only the class webpage: http://mizar.unive.it/licalzi/game-phd.html

Ca’ Foscari abides by Italian Law (Law 17/1999; Law 170/2010) regarding support services and accommodation available to students with disabilities. This includes students with mobility, visual, hearing and other disabilities (Law 17/1999), and specific learning impairments (Law 170/2010). If you have a disability or impairment that requires accommodations (i.e., alternate testing, readers, note takers or interpreters) please contact the Disability and Accessibility Offices in Student Services: disabilita@unive.it.

written and oral