Mathematical Analysis of Games
Project WISE, Fall, 2000
Earth Science Educational Resource Center

This workshop, which is being conducted by the Earth Science Educational Reosurce Center for the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) program at SUNY Stony Brook, will focus on games of strategy designed for one, two, and several players.  These will include Nim, Sprouts, Undercut, Lines, Saltines, Moneybags, Big Net Little Net, Wolff's Dilemma, Othello, and Tower of Hanoi.  Algorithms for winning and optimal strategies will be explored, and will be described using recursion, optimizing functions, and other methods.  The applicability of the Prisoner's Dilemma and related games to real-life sociopolitical phenomena will be considered.

The Earth Science Educational Resource Center is administered by the Center for High Pressure Research, which is a National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center.

Instructor

• Glenn Richard [Glenn.Richard@sunysb.edu]
• Teacher Supervisor: Barbara Benach

Schedule

• October 23, 2000 - One Heap Nim, Three Heap Nim, Sprouts, Undercut
• November 15, 2000 - Four Pennies, Nim Sum Calculator, Life, Sprouts Application, Tower of Hanoi
• December 4, 2000 - Ocean, Wolf's Dilemma
• January 22, 2001 - Discussion of Homework, Preparation for Presentation
• February 15, 2001 - Final Presentation