Free Stanford class in game theory

[PrinceofWands]

Looks pretty awesome, and they're presenting it for people with only a moderate math background.

https://www.coursera.org/gametheory/auth/welcome

 

[Dr. Zaus]

An intro to stochastic modeling for dummies.

You can make a lot of money helping people exploit each-other with this stuff

 

[sactoking]

Ahh, game theory. It was a wonderful class but alas, 'tis only theory. 2 minutes in the real world is enough to prove that game theory is worthless in most permutations.

 

[Dr. Zaus]

Ahh, game theory. It was a wonderful class but alas, 'tis only theory. 2 minutes in the real world is enough to prove that game theory is worthless in most permutations.

A systematic way of developing complex thinking is never worthless.

Even if every assumption is wrong ;-).

 

[MaxFusion16]

enrolled, thanks op.

I've always wanted to learn about game theory.

 

[SandEagle]

PS3 > XBOX360

they probably won't teach that since it's a fact and not a theory

 

[OverVolt]

It comes automatically if you are not a retard. It boils down to stuff like someone takes a strong stand, other person tries to circumnavigate the stand or face it directly based on if he can overcome the stand or not. Wow that was hard. Then lots of bullshit imaginary math. Well, the math is real, but the numbers are all bullshit.

An intro to stochastic modeling for dummies.

Was just thinking about how the stock market is basically the motion of a water molecule or any liquid molecule's movement getting plotted in 1d. Its pretty cool. I don't agree with how they slant the models upward with a variable. It's an assumption that the central bank will keep the economy growing at 3% but it is actually an exponential which I don't think plays nice long term.

 

[sactoking]

A systematic way of developing complex thinking is never worthless.

Even if every assumption is wrong ;-).

You're right, it's not worthless; it's worse than worthless. Game theory and ludic thinking is worthless in the sense that it really isn't predictive of anything but it's worse than worthless in the fact that so many "learned" thinkers rely on it knowing full well that it's worthless so not only are the models wrong but no effort is made to devise better models.

 

[Dr. Zaus]

Sactoking: being a post-modern social-scientist I'm behind you 100%.

Being that I started to think of the world of theory from an economic point of view I think you may be dismissing a useful gateway drug


I hope simply that the self-contradictions necessary for an economic model become apparent over time to those trained in its ways, as it did for me.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

I hated game theory in college.

 

[SirStev0]

I am interested.

 

[JEDI]

will it teach me how to play better poker?

 

[Dr. Zaus]

will it teach me how to play the stock-market better?

Yes. Because the other people will be using these models and you will know better AND know their assumptions so you can use them against them.

 

[DCal430]

Not the same thing as game theory but sort of related to it is decision theory. I took a class that the first 1/3 was an overview of decision theory. Including some advance calculus based stuff.

 

[Pia]

will it teach me how to play better poker?

Maybe yes if you try to apply it that way. Sklansky's poker theory book has some applied game theory in it that seems like it should be useful for all intermediate to high players (whenever you are facing people better than you at the table I guess?), and I imagine doing basic coursework would help taking that stuff into practice.

 

[Via]

Could game theory help a person working the register or the fryer work their way up to shift manager?

 

[Dr. Zaus]

Could game theory help a person working the register or the fryer work their way up to shift manager?

Yes; by giving that person something to think about that will keep him or her from shoving her or his head into said fryer.