Algorithmic Game Theory – of possible interest for “Ways of Contributing”?
I’ve done this sort of leap before. Here’s a very timely one. Our research group is starting work on a new grant called “Ways of Contributing”. In reading through the description of the work that we’ll be doing I couldn’t help but think that the data will really lend themselves well to a Game Theory approach of analysis and understanding. Here’s the timely bit: Michael Neilsen links to Noam Nisan. Which, when one googles for “algorithmic game theory” one finds a book on it.
I was introduced to Game Theory when I was doing graduate work in the Department of Zoology at the University of Toronto. I always wanted to find a research project that would generated data that were amenable to Game Theory type thinking. I suspect that our new grant may generate those sorts of data but I am really rusty on Game Theory right now. What I was thinking was that the utility functions for different players in education are really quite different from one another. For example, one player may be seeking high grades, whereas another one may be seeking deep understanding.