Definition Strategic Situation

  • what is best for me depends on the others are doing
  • what is best for others depends on what I am doing

Implications

  • complex dynamics
    • I know
    • they know, I know
    • I know, they know, I know,
  • outcomes are different
  • agents are players
  • interaction called “game”

Definition Strategy

  • strategy = information + reaction
  • complete plan of action
  • in business: a plan to achieve an organizations goals and objectives from which - ideally - each person can derive their own smaller goals
  • strategy is a complete plan of action for a game
    • simple with rock/paper/scissors
    • harder with chess
  • at every point in the game we know what to do

Conditions

  • time of action
  • outcome of nature moves (random events)
  • new information arriving
  • observed actions of other agents

Develop a good Strategy

  • think about
    • rules of interaction
    • strategies/actions available to other players
    • role of nature/randomness
    • value of information
  • think about your best action
    • at each point in time
    • in each state of the world
    • for each move of other players
  • write it down
    • forces the brain to think clear thoughts

Equilibrium