Algorithimic Game Theory with Python
About this book¶
This book is based on the course CS364A: Algorithmic Game Theory (Fall 2013) by Dr. Tim Roughgarden.
The book is a practical, intuition-first introduction to mechanism design—the “reverse game theory” toolkit for designing rules so that self-interested behavior leads to good outcomes. It focuses on the classic problem of selling goods and allocating resources when participants have private information, and shows how simple choices in rules (payment format, reserve prices, allocation constraints) can dramatically change incentives and results.
Across the chapters, we build from basic auction formats (first-price and Vickrey) to the logic behind truthful mechanisms, then move into core ideas like Myerson’s Lemma and revenue maximization. Later chapters connect these principles to modern settings such as algorithmic mechanism design, where computational limits (like knapsack-style constraints) shape what can be implemented in practice.
The goal is to make the theory usable: each chapter highlights the problem setup, the intuition, what works (and why), and what trade-offs remain. By the end, readers should be able to recognize mechanism design problems in the wild, compare common mechanisms, and reason clearly about incentives, efficiency, and revenue.
How to use¶
Use the left sidebar to navigate chapters. Use the search box to find keywords quickly.
About the Author¶
Md Johirul Islam is a Senior Research Associate at the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), BRAC University, attached to the Gender and Social Development Cluster. He works under the supervision of Dr. Munshi Sulaiman, Dr. Khandker Wahedur Rahman, and Dr. Shaila Ahmed. Previously, he served as a Research Associate at the same institution and worked remotely as a Research Assistant for Dr. Naila Kabeer at the London School of Economics (LSE).
He earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Chittagong, Bangladesh, and he is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Mathematics at the Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology (AUST).
To know more about the author, you can visit his website.