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Applications of game theory in the BitTorrent protocol

BitTorrent is a file sharing protocol that allows large files to be efficiently distributed across a network. It works by splitting a file into a bunch of smaller chunks that are easier to transfer. Then each person, or “peer,” who wants to download this file must acquire all of the chunks and assemble them. To […]

Google Adds Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon

Google recently added to its search a function where, when a person types in any actor’s name followed by “bacon number,” it will display that actor’s Bacon Number.  This number represents the degrees of movie separation between that actor and actor Kevin Bacon.  Originally it had been assumed that there would be a maximum of […]

P2P Networks Become the Home for Distributed Search Engines

What does a search engine mean to you? For most, a search engine is a magic machine where you type a few words and it gives you what you were looking for. You will most likely recognize the primary examples. All of these search giants are organized with a centralized, hierarchical approach. This means they […]

Game Theory in Fantasy Football

http://thedctimes.com/2010/06/fantasy-football-and-game-theory-understanding-your-opponents-beliefs/   Any male college student that hasn’t been raised by wolves has heard of fantasy football, and a vast majority of them have probably been involved in a draft in their lifetime. From Ivy League scholars to the Wendy’s night shift employees, fantasy football can be enjoyed by anyone with even the slightest knowledge […]

Eligible Bachelor Paradox

The Eligible Bachelor Paradox is a social observation that becomes intriguing and at times frustrating to those in their mid-thirties.  In this article, Mark Gimein describes how to use the different bidding behavior in asymmetric auctions to understand the Eligible Bachelor Paradox, which states that there are far fewer eligible bachelors than attractive bachelorettes at […]

A Game with New Rules

First an anecdote: A businessman was walking home when he noticed a small, rumpled-looking man standing behind a small wooden table with a top hat in one hand and a coin in the other. Curious, he sauntered over to the fellow, who cordially greeted and asked him, “My kind sir, would you like to play […]

Campaigning with Facebook – Politicians Movement into Social Networks

With the 2012 elections entering the final two-month dash to the finish line, we have seen an increased push from both President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney into the sphere of social media in an effort to garner political support, outreach, and ultimately more votes come November 6th. Political strategists in both camps have recognized […]

Collegetown Craze

The main topic of everyone’s conversations at Cornell the past few weeks has been housing for 2013.  It is tradition at Cornell that juniors and seniors live in collegetown.  And it is also tradition that you decide where you are going to live an entire year before you move into your apartment/ house.  This rush […]

Exploiting Game Theory for Profit in the Stock Market

Game theory is a way of addressing situations in which the outcome of a person’s decisions depends not only on his own choices, but also on the actions of other people he interacts with. In this article, Professor Aaron Brown expounds upon how a savvy trader can use game theory to make a profit in […]

The Game of Nuclear War

We live in a world with constant threat.  We are worried about terrorist attacks, rapists on the streets, or being in the wrong place at the wrong time.  But, imagine constantly having a nuclear missile pointed at our country.  This threat would cause a great deal of chaos and retaliation.  Israel was faced with this […]

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