Mathematical Game Theory (Coursera)

Mathematical Game Theory (Coursera)

Every day, almost every minute we make a choice. Right now you have made the choice to read this text instead of scrolling further. Choices can be insignificant: to go by tram or by bus, to take an umbrella or not. Sometimes they can be very significant and even crucial: the choice of University, life partner. However, the importance of choice may not be realized initially. Sometimes a decision "not to take an umbrella" radically changes everything.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

The choice may affect a small group of people or entire countries. In game тtheory, we call it the choice of strategy. Constantly interacting with society and adopting certain strategies, many of us wonder: why can't everyone exist peacefully and cooperate with each other? Why do those who have agreed to cooperate, suddenly break the agreement? What if one is cooperative and the other is not? How profitable should the interaction be for the opponent to change his opinion? When are long-term stable prospects better than short-term benefits, and when not?
The answers to these and other questions you will find out in our course.
This course will be useful for those who want to make choices based on mathematical calculations rather than relying on fate. Who is interested in world politics and at least once heard about the "Prisoner's Dilemma".
The course is basic and does not require any special knowledge. In several sections, definitions and theorems from mathematical analysis and elements of probability theory will be used.

Syllabus

WEEK 1: Zero-sum Games
WEEK 2: Noncooperative Games
WEEK 3: Cooperative Games in Characteristic Function Form
WEEK 4: Noncooperative Multistage Games
WEEK 5: Cooperative Multistage Games
WEEK 6: Differential Games

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Initiation à la théorie des distributions (Coursera) Coursera
École Polytechnique

Initiation à la théorie des distributions (Coursera)

Une fonction discontinue peut-elle être solution d'une équation différentielle? Comment définir rigoureusement la masse de Dirac (une "fonction" d'intégrale un, nulle partout sauf en un point) et ses dérivées? Peut-on définir une notion de "dérivée d'ordre fractionnaire"? Cette initiation aux distributions répond à ces questions - et à bien d'autres.

Sep 7th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Strategy and Sustainability (Coursera) Coursera
IESE Business School

Strategy and Sustainability (Coursera)

Business and environmental sustainability are not natural bedfellows. Business is about making money. Sustainability is about protecting the planet. Business is measured in months and quarters. Sustainability often requires significant short term costs to secure a sometimes uncertain long-term benefit. To some activists, all executives are exploitative, selfish one percenters. To some executives, all activists are irresponsible, unyielding extremists.

Sep 14th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Foundations of Marketing Practice for Non-Majors (Coursera) Coursera
University of North Texas

Foundations of Marketing Practice for Non-Majors (Coursera)

This course is an introductory survey of marketing terminology, concepts and practices from an applied perspective. Emphasis is on the activities performed by marketing managers to address real world marketing problems. Primary emphasis is on the identification of marketing opportunities and the planning and execution of marketing mix activities required to target these opportunities.

Sep 14th 2026
4 Weeks
Requerimientos, planeación, ejecución y medición de estrategias para redes sociales (Coursera) Coursera
Tecnológico de Monterrey

Requerimientos, planeación, ejecución y medición de estrategias para redes sociales (Coursera)

¿Te has preguntado cómo se manejan las campañas a través de las redes sociales? ¿Cómo es el proceso que se realiza? ¿Cómo puedo sacar provecho de ellas para posicionar mi producto o mi servicio? Éstas y muchas más preguntas nos hacemos al ser parte de los consumidores que adquirimos un producto o servicio y que el medio por el cual nos enganchamos a él, fue una red social, pero también y principalmente como proveedor, nos interesa cómo sacar provecho de ellas para favorecer nuestro negocio.

Sep 7th 2026
4 Weeks
Analytic Combinatorics (Coursera) Coursera
Princeton University

Analytic Combinatorics (Coursera)

Analytic Combinatorics teaches a calculus that enables precise quantitative predictions of large combinatorial structures. This course introduces the symbolic method to derive functional relations among ordinary, exponential, and multivariate generating functions, and methods in complex analysis for deriving accurate asymptotics from the GF equations. All the features of this course are available for free. It does not offer a certificate upon completion.

Sep 7th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Customer-Centric IT Strategy (Coursera) Coursera
University of Virginia

Customer-Centric IT Strategy (Coursera)

Now more than ever, corporations are investing heavily in IT. The quality of these investments affect the daily work of millions, yet it’s not uncommon to see industry surveys where the failure rates for IT projects is over 50%. It’s possible to do better and it’s possible to do so consistently. In this two-week course, we’ll step through major challenges within corporate IT and how to address them with the disciplined use of design thinking, Lean Startup, and agile as a team framework.

Sep 14th 2026
2 Weeks
Community Organizing for Social Justice (Coursera) Coursera
University of Michigan

Community Organizing for Social Justice (Coursera)

The course examines specific strategies for community organizing for social justice in a diverse, democratic society. It examines core concepts of social justice and practical steps for bringing people together to set goals and priorities, assess community assets and needs, develop action plans, and build support for implementation. It includes information on how to form core groups, build organizational capacity, and formulate strategy for reaching out to constituents and allies.

Sep 7th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Introduction to Mathematical Thinking (Coursera) Coursera
Stanford University

Introduction to Mathematical Thinking (Coursera)

Learn how to think the way mathematicians do - a powerful cognitive process developed over thousands of years. Mathematical thinking is not the same as doing mathematics – at least not as mathematics is typically presented in our school system. School math typically focuses on learning procedures to solve highly stereotyped problems. Professional mathematicians think a certain way to solve real problems, problems that can arise from the everyday world, or from science, or from within mathematics itself.

Sep 7th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Fundamentals of Engineering Exam Review (Coursera) Coursera
Georgia Institute of Technology

Fundamentals of Engineering Exam Review (Coursera)

The purpose of this course is to review the material covered in the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam to enable the student to pass it. It will be presented in modules corresponding to the FE topics, particularly those in Civil and Mechanical Engineering. Each module will review main concepts, illustrate them with examples, and provide extensive practice problems.

Sep 7th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Estrategia Empresarial (Coursera) Coursera
Universidad Austral

Estrategia Empresarial (Coursera)

El curso te da las herramientas básicas para identificar los desafíos estratégicos de una organización, evaluar la importancia de estos desafíos, y armar el plan de prioridades de modo de hacer frente exitosamente a esos desafíos. Dentro de todas las empresas que existen, el curso se focaliza en aquellas cuyo producto o servicio tiene algún grado de diferenciación con respecto a los competidores de la industria en la que se desenvuelve.

Sep 14th 2026
4 Weeks
Welcome to Game Theory (Coursera) Coursera
The University of Tokyo

Welcome to Game Theory (Coursera)

This course provides a brief introduction to game theory. Our main goal is to understand the basic ideas behind the key concepts in game theory, such as equilibrium, rationality, and cooperation. The course uses very little mathematics, and it is ideal for those who are looking for a conceptual introduction to game theory. Business competition, political campaigns, the struggle for existence by animals and plants, and so on, can all be regarded as a kind of “game,” in which individuals try to do their best against others.

Sep 7th 2026
4 Weeks