A Brief Introduction to the Basics of Game Theory
Matthew O. Jackson
Stanford University - Department of Economics; Santa Fe Institute
I provide a (very) brief introduction to game theory. I have developed these notes to
provide quick access to some of the basics of game theory; mainly as an aid for students
in courses in which I assumed familiarity with game theory but did not require it as a
prerequisite. Of course, the material discussed here is only the proverbial tip of the iceberg,
and there are many sources that offer much more complete treatments of the subject.1 Here,
I only cover a few of the most fundamental concepts, and provide just enough discussion
to get the ideas across without discussing many issues associated with the concepts and
approaches. Fuller coverage is available through a free on-line course that can be found via
my website: http://www.stanford.edu/∼jacksonm/

Matthew O. Jackson