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Learn Game Theory

Model strategic choices where your best move depends on everyone else.

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Game theory is the mathematics of strategic interaction, where each player's best choice depends on what others do. It is used in economics, political science, biology, computer science and everyday negotiation. You start with games written as payoff matrices and learn dominant strategies and Nash equilibrium, then mixed strategies, zero-sum games and minimax, sequential games solved by backward induction, and repeated games, where cooperation can emerge. Classic examples include the Prisoner's Dilemma, Chicken and the Battle of the Sexes. Learnr builds a personalized game theory course and teaches it in short interactive lessons where you solve small games yourself.

How to learn Game Theory, step by step

Learn to write games as payoff matrices. Turn situations like two companies setting prices into a table of players, strategies and payoffs. Getting the model right is half the work, so always state what each payoff number represents.
Find dominant strategies and Nash equilibria. Eliminate strictly dominated strategies, then check each cell for whether any player could gain by deviating alone. Work through the Prisoner's Dilemma to see why individually rational choices can leave everyone worse off.
Master mixed strategies. In games like matching pennies with no pure equilibrium, find the probabilities that make the opponent indifferent between their options. Learn von Neumann's minimax idea for two-player zero-sum games.
Solve sequential games by backward induction. Draw game trees and solve them from the end, finding subgame perfect equilibria. Use examples like the ultimatum game and entry deterrence to see why credible threats matter.
Study repeated games and cooperation. Learn how strategies like tit-for-tat and grim trigger can sustain cooperation when a game repeats with no known end. Short daily Learnr exercises help you practice spotting equilibria quickly.
Apply it to real situations. Analyze auctions, voting, pricing, arms races or a negotiation you face, and ask what each side knows and wants. Then extend to games of incomplete information and signaling.

What you'll learn

Model situations as games with players, strategies and payoffs
Find dominant strategies and pure-strategy Nash equilibria
Compute mixed-strategy equilibria and solve zero-sum games
Solve sequential games with backward induction and subgame perfection
Explain how repetition, information and commitment change outcomes

What's inside your Game Theory course

A sample path Learnr builds for Game Theory. Your real course adapts to your goal and level.

1. Players, strategies and payoffs
2. Dominance and Nash equilibrium
3. Mixed strategies and zero-sum games
4. Sequential games and backward induction
5. Repeated games and cooperation
6. Incomplete information, auctions and signaling

How long does it take to learn Game Theory?

The core ideas of payoff matrices, Nash equilibrium and backward induction take about 3 to 6 weeks at 3 to 4 hours a week. A full introductory course, including mixed strategies, repeated games and incomplete information, takes about 2 to 4 months.

What you need before you start

High school algebra and basic probability, such as expected value. Calculus is helpful only for continuous strategy games found in economics courses.

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming a Nash equilibrium is the best outcome for everyone. It only means no player can gain by changing strategy alone.
Forgetting that mixed strategies are chosen to make the opponent indifferent, not to maximize your own payoff directly.
Ignoring credibility in sequential games, and treating a threat as binding when carrying it out would hurt the player making it.

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Game Theory questions, answered

Who invented game theory?

John von Neumann and Oskar Morgenstern established modern game theory with their 1944 book Theory of Games and Economic Behavior. John Nash later introduced the equilibrium concept that bears his name and proved that every finite game has one in mixed strategies.

Is game theory only for economists?

No. It is used in political science, evolutionary biology, computer science for algorithms and auctions, and in practical settings like negotiation and business strategy.