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This textbook provides an overview of the fundamentals of game theory and its applications in various fields. It introduces game theory as an established toolkit for the mathematical analysis and evaluation of strategic decisions. Through applied exercises, it introduces the basic concepts of game theory and offers students from various disciplines the opportunity to practice the concepts through in-depth training. The textbook addresses advanced students of economics, business administration, and related disciplines, university graduates with basic mathematical training as well as interested readers from all fields. For this, it provides student-friendly explanations, a variety of exercises and problems, and useful references to further reading. The book is divided into a beginner-friendly theory section, in which the most important aspects are presented in a compact and clear manner, and an application-oriented problem section, in which the readers can directly check what they have learned and find many application examples. The latter can also be used as a source of inspiration for instructors.

This book presents the econometric foundations and applications of multi-dimensional panels, including modern methods of big data analysis. In light of the big data revolution and the emergence of higher dimensional panel data sets, it provides new results to synthesize existing knowledge on the field. The first, theoretical part of the volume is providing the econometric foundations to deal with these new high-dimensional panel data sets. It not only synthesizes our current knowledge, but mostly, presents new research results. The second empirical part of the book provides insight into the most relevant applications in this area. These chapters are a mixture of surveys and new results, always focusing on the econometric problems and feasible solutions.This second extended and revised edition provides an update of all existent chapters to reflect on new developments in the area as well as several new chapters on topics such as machine learning, nonparametric models,networks, and multi-dimensional panels in health economics. The book serves as a standard reference work, a textbook for graduate students in economics, and a source of background material for professionals conducting empirical studies.

This book contributes to the theoretical discussions of equilibria that rest on error―in which we include mistaken choices of games to play. Extant game theory recommends diverse strategies (plans of actions) for various given games, particularly those in Nash equilibria, in which no player benefits from one-sided strategy alteration. The literature also refers to the design of games that fit given goals. This is the mechanism design theory; its function is to serve social planners ignorant of the preferences of the people intended to play them.Our study of games avoidance adds to game theory the meta-game of choosing what game to play and what game to avoid playing, and that both players and planners can generate. This comprises a shift from the maximalist position that aims to maximize possible profit to the minimalist one that aims at minimizing possible loss. This shift depends on the question, considering the public interest, what set of games is it advisable to encourage? Obviously, it is advisable to encourage playing some groups of games such as trade, as well as to discourage playing other groups of games such as wars. This shift makes the theory much more applicable to social science: usually, choosing what game to play is less practical than choosing what game not to play. This invites legislation and similar incentives; their study should aim at the improvement of their usefulness.Discussing the possibility of changing both game and strategy renders game theory part-and-parcel of social science. For this mathematical models will not do: it requires a clear distinction between describing options and explaining situations. Explanations may enhance efforts at improvement.

This book provides the current status of research on the application of OR methods to solve emerging and relevant operations management problems. Each chapter is a selected contribution of the IO2021 - XXI Congress of APDIO, the Portuguese Association of Operational Research, held in Figueira da Foz from 7 to 8 November 2021. Under the theme of analytics for a better world, the book presents interesting results and applications of OR cutting-edge methods and techniques to various real-world problems. Of particular importance are works applying nonlinear, multi-objective optimization, hybrid heuristics, multicriteria decision analysis, data envelopment analysis, simulation, clustering techniques and decision support systems, in different areas such as supply chain management, production planning and scheduling, logistics, energy, telecommunications, finance and health. All chapters were carefully reviewed by the members of the scientific program committee.

Durable strategies that have prolonged effects are prevalent in real-world situations. Revenue-generating investments, toxic waste disposal, long-lived goods, regulatory measures, coalition agreements, diffusion of knowledge, advertisement and investments to accumulate physical capital are concrete and common examples of durable strategies. This book provides an augmentation of dynamic game theory and advances a new game paradigm with durable strategies in decision-making schemes. It covers theories, solution techniques, and the applications of a general class of dynamic games with multiple durable strategies. Non-cooperative equilibria and cooperative solutions are derived, along with advanced topics including random termination, asynchronous game horizons, and stochastic analysis. The techniques presented here will enable readers to solve numerous practical dynamic interactive problems with durable strategies. This book not only expands the scope of applied dynamic game theory, but also provides a solid foundation for further theoretical and technical advancements. As such, it will appeal to scholars and students of quantitative economics, game theory, operations research, and computational mathematics.'Not too many new concepts have been introduced in dynamic games since their inception. The introduction of the concept of durable strategies changes this trend and yields important contributions to environmental and business applications.'Dušan M Stipanović, Professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign'Before this book, the field simply did not realize that most of our strategies are durable and entail profound effects in the future. Putting them into the mathematical framework of dynamic games is a great innovative effort.'Vladimir Turetsky, Professor, Ort Braude College “Durable-strategies Dynamic Games is trulya world-leading addition to the field of dynamic games. It is a much needed publication to tackle increasingly crucial problems under the reality of durable strategies.” Vladimir Mazalov, Director of Mathematical Research, Russian Academy of Sciences & President of the International Society of Dynamic Games

Covering the major topics of evolutionary game theory, Game-Theoretical Models in Biology, Second Edition presents both abstract and practical mathematical models of real biological situations. It discusses the static aspects of game theory in a mathematically rigorous way that is appealing to mathematicians. In addition, the authors explore many applications of game theory to biology, making the text useful to biologists as well. The book describes a wide range of topics in evolutionary games, including matrix games, replicator dynamics, the hawk-dove game, and the prisoner's dilemma. It covers the evolutionarily stable strategy, a key concept in biological games, and offers in-depth details of the mathematical models. Most chapters illustrate how to use Python to solve various games. Important biological phenomena, such as the sex ratio of so many species being close to a half, the evolution of cooperative behaviour, and the existence of adornments (for example, the peacock's tail), have been explained using ideas underpinned by game theoretical modelling. Suitable for readers studying and working at the interface of mathematics and the life sciences, this book shows how evolutionary game theory is used in the modelling of these diverse biological phenomena. In this thoroughly revised new edition, the authors have added three new chapters on the evolution of structured populations, biological signalling games, and a topical new chapter on evolutionary models of cancer. There are also new sections on games with time constraints that convert simple games to potentially complex nonlinear ones; new models on extortion strategies for the Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma and on social dilemmas; and on evolutionary models of vaccination, a timely section given the current Covid pandemic. Features Presents a wide range of biological applications of game theory. Suitable for researchers and professionals in mathematical biology and the life sciences, and as a text for postgraduate courses in mathematical biology. Provides numerous examples, exercises, and Python code.

This textbook provides a comprehensive overview of noncooperative and cooperative dynamic games involving uncertain parameter values, with the stochastic process being described by an event tree. Primarily intended for graduate students of economics, management science and engineering, the book is self-contained, as it defines and illustrates all relevant concepts originally introduced in static games before extending them to a dynamic framework. It subsequently addresses the sustainability of cooperative contracts over time and introduces a range of mechanisms to help avoid such agreements breaking down before reaching maturity. To illustrate the concepts discussed, the book provides various examples of how dynamic games played over event trees can be applied to environmental economics, management science, and engineering.