Game Theory Lectures May 2026

But they also gave me a superpower. I now see the invisible architecture of conflict and cooperation everywhere. I understand why voting feels pointless (Median Voter Theorem). I understand why you tip at a diner you'll never visit again (Subgame Perfect Equilibrium).

But then the professor introduces the . It proves that rational players will betray each other immediately , even though waiting would make them both millionaires. Game Theory Lectures

Instead, I got a blackboard full of matrices, strange squiggly lines, and a professor muttering about "common knowledge of rationality." But they also gave me a superpower

Here is why you should stop scrolling and actually attend (or rewatch) that lecture recording. Most economics lectures feel like history. Game theory feels like a chess match against the future. I understand why you tip at a diner

You learn to solve this via Backward Induction . You start at the end of the game and rewind. Suddenly, you realize the Monopolist is bluffing. A price war hurts them more than you. Therefore, the Entrant should always enter.

This is where the professor tells you that to play optimally in a game like Rock-Paper-Scissors (or soccer penalty kicks), you have to randomize. You have to calculate the exact probability (p) that makes your opponent indifferent between their options.