Probability and Game Theory
Probability and Game Theory is a Math course in the CTY program. It requires previous enrollment outside of CTY in Algebra I. Its course code is GAME, and it is offered at Carlisle, Lancaster, Los Angeles, and Saratoga Springs.
Course Description
Game theory is the field of study concerning conflict and cooperation between rational players, with applications in such diverse fields as labor bargaining, Rawlsian ethics, and evolutionary biology. In this course, students study the basics of strategic action. Subjects covered include decision theory, game matrices, optimization algorithms, auctions, fair division, and classic games including the Prisoner's Dilemma, Stag Hunt, Chicken, and Nim. Students sometimes play rock, paper, scissors or Risk in class as demonstrations.
Class History
You will come to know and love Colin, Rose, and sometimes Larry.
Game Theory teaches how to get what's best for you in certain situations, disregarding what's best for Player 2, and ironically, at CAR 06.2 this class was next to the Ethics class. The members of the Game Theory class at CAR 06.2 also produced the Cucumber Cult, and also spawned many games (more info on the Cucumber Cult page).
At Carlisle, members of the Game Theory class also consistently do well at Casino Night. However, at LMU, the boy halls of Game Theory do badly. In 07.2, the guys got 16th[?] and in 08.1, the boys did badly. In 08.2, the boys did extremely badly, ending up as the second to last placing hall. (this may have been because the GAME boys gave money to the GAME girls). The girl halls tend to do pretty well: in 07.2, the game girl[and the hall she was in] got 2nd, and in 08.2, the GAME girls got 6th.
- Random Fact: in LMU, the GAME girls hall duct taped RAs to a tree in 07.2 and 08.2.
At LMU 08.2, the students spent several classes playing online Deal or No Deal™. The game was often laced with heated arguments about which case to open, and whether the expected value of the game was more important than winning money. In the casino that was run at the end of the session, there were two versions of Deal or No Deal, which people enjoyed because it was easy to win money from the game.
To any former GAME students, So Long, Suckers!
