Game Theory
Game theory is a mathematical framework for modeling strategic interactions among rational decision-makers, where the outcome for each participant depends on the choices of all others. It analyzes scenarios called 'games' to predict behavior, identify optimal strategies, and understand equilibrium states like Nash equilibrium. Widely applied in economics, political science, biology, and computer science, it helps in decision-making under conflict or cooperation.
Developers should learn game theory when designing systems involving multi-agent interactions, such as auction algorithms, network protocols, or AI for competitive games, to optimize outcomes and predict adversarial behavior. It's essential in fields like algorithmic game theory for fair resource allocation, cybersecurity for threat modeling, and machine learning for reinforcement learning in competitive environments.