Math 10: The Art and Practice of Mathematics
Spring 2005
Instructor: Ben Davis
Email: bdavis@stmarys-ca.edu
Web: http://galileo.stmarys-ca.edu/bdavis/
Office: Galileo 103 D
Office Phone: 631-8048
Office Hours: Tuesday 9-11 am, Wednesday 3-4 pm, or by appointment.

Text: Dixit and Skeath, Games of Strategy, Second Edition W.W. Norton & Company, c2004.
Homework: There will be a weekly homework assignment due at the beginning of class on Fridays. I expect you to write a complete solution to every assigned problem. If you get stuck on a problem, or if you are not confident in your solution, please confer with fellow students, a tutor, or come ask me in office hours. Late homework may be accepted due to unavoidable circumstances, and only at my discretion. Missing homework will receive a score of zero.
Exams: There will be two midterms and a final. Each exam will cover the material since the previous exam. Missing an exam will result in an exam score of zero being assigned.
Grades: Your grade is based on homework and exams. The weight each component shall receive is as follows: 15% homework average, 85% exam average. The following distribution will be used to assign course grades: 100-93% = A, 92-90% = A-, 89-86% = B+, 85-83% = B, 82-80% = B-, 79-76% = C+, 75-73% = C, 72-70% = C-, 69-66% = D+, 65-63% = D, 62-60% = D-, Below 60 % = F.
Calculators: Calculators are permitted on homework and exams.
Tutoring: The Student Math Center is open every Sunday and Monday from 7-9pm in Galileo 201. Additional tutoring may be requested from the Academic Support Center in Sichel 105.
Academic Honesty: The Saint Mary's policies regarding academic honesty detailed in the student handbook apply to this course. I encourage you to work with other students on coursework, but your write-ups should be in your own voice, and consist largely of your own work. Where your argument depends heavily on another's work, say so.
Course Calendar: The course calendar details the schedule of coursework, exams and breaks.
Homework and Announcements
The final exam will include one problem of the type found on midterms 1 and 2 selected at random.
FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE
The final exam for Math 10-01 (the 10:20-11:20 class) will be in Dante 114 (the usual room) on Mon May 16 from 10:30 am - 12:30 pm.
The final exam for Math 10-02 (the 11:30-12:30 class) will be in Dante 114 (the usual room) on Mon May 16 from 8:00 am - 10:00 am.
Here is the Practice Final Solution.
Print out a copy of the Practice Final and attempt to solve it in two hours without consulting the book or your notes.
Assignment 12 due Fri May 13.
Assignment 11 due Wed May 4.
Here is the Practice Midterm 2 Solution.
Assignment 10 due Fri Apr 22 Chapter 9 #2,4,6
Print out a copy of Practice Midterm 2. Attempt to solve the exam in one hour without consulting the book or your notes.
Assignment 9 due Fri Apr 15 Chapter 8 #4, 5, 6(a)
Assignment 8 due Fri Apr 8 Chapter 7 #3, 6
Assignment 7 due Fri Apr 1 Chapter 6 #9, 10
Assignment 6 due Fri Mar 18 Chapter 5 #1, 3(a), Workshop 1 #1,2,3, Chapter 6 # 2,9
Price Competition Handout on how to find a Nash equilibrium of prices for two competing firms.
Assignment 5 due Fri Mar 11 Chapter 4 #2,6,7
Here is the Practice Midterm 1 Solution.
Print out a copy of Practice Midterm 1. Attempt to solve the exam in one hour without consulting the book or your notes.
Assignment 4 due Fri Mar 4 Chapter 3 #10, Chapter 4 #3,5
Problem #10 in Chapter 3 is challenging, so be sure to give yourself plenty of time and the opportunity to get advice.
Assignment 3 due Fri Feb 25 Chapter 3 #3 parts (a) and (c) only, 4,5,9
In all of these problems, you want to rollback the game trees. The "equilibrium strategies" the book refers to are just the strategies given by the rollback. The "equilibrium outcome" the book refers to is just the payoff that results when both players run the equilibrium strategies; i.e. the payoff the rises to the top of the game tree when you perform the rollback.
The Course Calendar has been revised to conform to the Second Edition of Dixit and Skeath.
Assignment 2 due Fri Feb 18 Chapter 2 #1,2,3,5 and Chapter 3 #1
Assignment 1 due Fri Feb 11
Develop your own examples of each of the following game theory topics:
  1. Mixing Plays
  2. Prisoner's Dilemma
  3. Commitments, Threats, and Promises
  4. Brinksmanship
  5. Signaling and Screening
Explain to the best of your knowledge how your examples illustrate the topics. You may find it helpful to look at section 1.2 of Dixit and Skeath.