Essentials of game theory a concise, multidisciplinary introduction /

• Main Author: Leyton-Brown, Kevin, 1975-
• Other Authors: Shoham, Yoav.
• Format: Electronic
• Language: English
• Published: San Rafael, Calif (1537 Fourth Street, San Rafael, CA 94901 USA) : Morgan & Claypool Publishers, 2008.
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Series: Synthesis lectures on artificial intelligence and machine learning(Online) ; #3.
• Subjects: Game theory.
• Online Access: View fulltext via EzAccess
• Item Description: Part of: Synthesis digital library of engineering and computer science.; Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Nov. 1, 2008).; Series from website.
• Physical Description: 1 electronic text (xvi, 88 p. : ill.) : digital file.; Also available in print.
• Format: Mode of access: World Wide Web.; System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Bibliography: Includes bibliographical references (p. 83-84) and index.
• ISBN: 9781598295948 (electronic bk.); 9781598295931 (pbk.)
• ISSN: 1939-4616
• Access: Abstract freely available; full-text restricted to subscribers or individual document purchasers.

Game theory is the mathematical study of interaction among independent, self-interested agents. The audience for game theory has grown dramatically in recent years, and now spans disciplines as diverse as political science, biology, psychology, economics, linguistics, sociology, and computer science, among others. What has been missing is a relatively short introduction to the field covering the common basis that anyone with a professional interest in game theory is likely to require. Such a text would minimize notation, ruthlessly focus on essentials, and yet not sacrifice rigor. This Synthesis Lecture aims to fill this gap by providing a concise and accessible introduction to the field. It covers the main classes of games, their representations, and the main concepts used to analyze them.