Course Web Page
Contact Info for Instructor, office hours, assignments and general information is all on the course
web page.
Course Description
This course will cover Game Theory and Social Computing from a Computer Science perspective.
Text:
Our text is Networks, Crowds and Markets by David Easley and Jon Kleinberg.
Another good reference is the book Algorithmic Game Theory by Nisan, Roughgarden, Tardos and Vazirani.
What you should know
You should have a basic familiarity with algorithms and data structures as from a class such as
CS361/CS362. You should also have a certain mathematical maturity and familiarity with proof techniques similar to what would be covered in a advanced undergraduate mathematics class.
Topics
Topics we cover will likely include some subset of the following: Games and Nash equilibria, Evolutionary Game Theory, Network Traffic and Game Theory, Auctions, Matching Markets, Bargaining and Power in Networks, Sponsored Search Markets, Information Cascades, Small World Phenomena, Epidemics and Voting.
Course Assessment
Approximate weighting: - Homeworks/Projects, 30% (6-8)
- Class Presentations, 30%
- Final Project, 30%
- General Participation, 10%.
Assignments:
- Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the due date. Assignment
deadlines are strict: late homeworks will automatically receive a grade of zero, without
prior approval. Prior approval is generally given only in the case of a medical problem or
family emergency.
- Group collaboration in groups of size 2 or 3 is encouraged on all homeworks and projects, provided that you 1) turn in one
homework or project per group; 2) at the top of the assignment, write down how work was divided up among the group on the project;
3) list any outside sources that you consulted. In case a student presents a
solution that is essentially identical in whole or in part to solutions from another group or
other source, that student will receive a 0 on the assignment, may be reported to the University
Administration and may not be permitted to continue in the class.
- Put pages of hw in order. We don't care what order you solve the hw in, but before you
turn it in, you must put the problems in order (this makes grading much easier)
- Staple hws, do not use paper clips, folding, tape, putty, gum, etc. I don't bring staplers to class,
so make sure you staple the hw before class (stapling helps us keep together all pages of your hw)
Grading Policies
"No deals, Mr. Bond.": Grades assigned at the end of the semester are final. You will not be able
to do any additional projects, papers, etc. to change your grade.
