We are thrilled to have Roger Eiss listed again on our roster of community experts this fall. Roger has taught for Saturday Academy for over eleven years now, previously sharing his knowledge in classes such as Solving Math Problems, Algebra II, Pre-Calculus and Calculus. "As with all my Saturday Academy classes," says Roger, "I view this as an opportunity to 'payback' the wonderful gift I have been given from many teachers who, over my student years, opened my eyes to skills that became important to my career. I hope that my students will use the skills that I teach to bring them success."
Game Theory: The Science of Strategy sprung from a one-day session on game studies, a subsection of game theory that involves board games and puzzles, in Roger's Solving Math Problems class. "Game theory is the study of strategies and how they impact what happens," Roger explains. "This may extend to business, government, war, sports, investments, society, and even the evolution of plants and animals." The strategies of game theory can be seen in a specific breed of gazelle, who will jump up and down to fake a predator, namely the jaguar, into thinking this particular gazelle is too strong to be hunted. "It can be applied at all levels, from daily decisions that we all make to strategies to the use of nuclear weapons in warfare. Any time somebody asks you, 'Are you playing games with me?' they probably recognize that you have put them in a position where game theory applies." The goal of this introductory class is to teach students about this relatively new discipline to determine actions that will secure the best outcomes. Game theory has been a major part of the insights that led to the decision to award ten Nobel prizes in economics.
Game Theory: The Science of Strategy begins on October 19th at Portland State University.