CMSC 498T, Game Theory

Lecture notes

I'll post my lecture slides and other materials here as the semester proceeds.

Tues, Jan 25: Lecture 1: Introduction. Homework 1 is due Feb. 1.

Tues, Feb 1: Lecture 2: Analyzing Normal-Form Games. Homework 2 is due Feb. 8.

Feb 1, 3, 8: Lecture 3: More about Normal-Form Games. Homework 3 is due Feb 15.

Feb 8: Lecture 4a: Extensive-Form Games.

Feb 10, 15: Lecture 4b: Game-Tree Search.

Feb 15: Programming Project 1 (due at noon on March 7), and the game driver (version 3).

Feb 17: Lecture 4c: Lookahead Pathology. Homework 4 is due Feb 24).

Feb 17, 22: Lecture 5a: Imperfect-Information Games. Homework 5 is due March 1.

Feb 24: Lecture 5b: Zero-Sum Imperfect-Information Games

Feb 24, Mar 1, Mar 3: Lecture 6a: Repeated Games

Mar 3, 8: Lecture 6b: Stochastic Games

Mar 10: review for the midterm exam

Mar 15: midterm exam

Mar 17: Programming Project 2 (due at noon on April 8), and the game driver.

Apr 5: Lecture 6c: Evolutionary Games. Homework 6 is due April 14.

Apr 7:Lecture 7a: Incomplete-Information Games

Apr 12: Lecture 7b: Strategies and Equilibria for Incomplete-Information Games. Homework 7 is due April 21.

Apr 14: Project 3 (due May 5) and the game driver.

Apr 14, 19: Lecture 8: Coalitional Games. Homework 8 is due April 28.

Apr 19: guest presentation by Brandon Wilson, on search algorithms for multi-player games

Apr 21: Lecture 9: Miscellany.

Apr 26: guest lecture by Inon Zuckerman on multi-player games, error-minimizing minimax, and focal points

Apr 28: guest lecture by Mohammad Hajiaghayi, on adword auctions

May 3: guest presentation by Eric Raboin on game theoretic robotics. Return homework 6.

May 5: instead of our class, go to Joe Henrich's colloquium talk: 3.30 pm in Bio-Psych 1208

May 10: last class: review for the final exam. Return all remaining homework.

May 18, 10:30-12:30: final exam

Other information

Password-protected materials

Syllabus: please see the syllabus for information about

• homeworks, projects, exams, and grading
• contact information and office hours

Location & time: 1122 CSIC, Tues/Thurs 3:30–4:45

Textbook: Leyton-Brown and Shoham, Essentials of Game Theory. Morgan & Claypool, 2008.

• Hard copies of the book are available in the bookstore
• You can get a PDF copy at the publisher's web site
  (it's free if you connect from the university network)

Discussion forum: web site and RSS feed

Topics to be covered: here is a tentative list; it may change somewhat as the semester progresses

Prerequisite: CMSC 351

This course will count for Area 2 (the 42x courses) in the CS degree requirements.