Contributor(s): Professor Bernhard von Stengel

Professor Bernhard von Stengel | Game theory is the 'science of interaction'. This talk will explain some insights of game theory and apply them to current politics. Of course politicians play games. They offer cheap promises that they think they don't have to fulfil. Such as a "simple" in-out referendum on EU membership. That game plan went wrong. Game theory could have helped, with tools for thinking ahead and concepts of strategy. Game theory can also help explain the incentive problems of climate change and reasons for democratic deadlock. This talk will highlight some uses and mis-uses of game theory and decision theory with examples from politics. Bernhard von Stengel (@bvonstengel) is Professor of Mathematics at the London School of Economics which he joined in 1998, after studies in Germany and the USA. He is a former Vice President for Communications of the Game Theory Society, scientific chair of their 5th World Congress in 2016, and currently Deputy Head (Research) of the LSE Department of Mathematics. His research is on mathematical and computational questions of game theory. Jan van den Heuvel (@JanvadeHe) is Head of the Department of Mathematics at LSE. The Department of Mathematics (@LSEMaths) is internationally recognised for its teaching and research in the fields of discrete mathematics, game theory, financial mathematics and operations research. Twitter Hashtag for this event: #LSEGameTheory