This course provides an introduction to the methodology of game theory and related modeling techniques, with a focus on applications in the study of politics. The goal of the course is to get students familiar with the basic tools and frameworks of formal models as used in political science research. This will enable you to be a more-informed reader of the growing body of literature that uses these methods or that tests predictions derived with them. It should also prove useful in structuring your thinking about political actors and outcomes even when you are not explicitly using a formal model. This course will also provide a starting point for students who hope to pursue more advanced training and even to use formal theory in their own future research.
Discussion scheduled Tuesdays 2-3pm.
PS230 or other equivalent coursework covering multivariate calculus, probability theory, and optimization (e.g. Math 53 and Stat 20).