Game Theory Reading Group at NTU, 2011

Organizer: Nick Gravin

Overview: This reading group aims at covering recent and important papers in algorithmic game theory with possible deviation to related topics in pure algorithms and discrete mathematics. However, the main focus will be on mechanism design. Supposedly each week one of us will present a paper chosen from a list and describe in details important proofs and results from the paper or a number of related papers (on the discretion of a speaker). A presentation could be up to 2 or even 2.5 hours with possible extension to a next time. The presentations are to be on a white-board, so that slides generally are not encouraged. We expect an audience to glance over each paper beforehand.

Selected Papers: Below is a list of selected papers we want to cover in the seminar. If you want to suggest other papers in addtion to this list, please talk to me.
Bayesian Mechanism design
[CHMS10] Multi-parameter Mechanism Design and Sequential Posted Pricing
[HL10] Bayesian Algorithmic Mechanism Design
[Myerson81] Optimal Auction Design
[HR08] Optimal Mechanism Design and Money Burning
Combinatorial auctions
[F09] On Maximizing Welfare when Utility Functions are Subadditive
[D07] Two Randomized Mechanisms for Combinatorial Auctions
[DNS10] Approximation Algorithms for Combinatorial Auctions with Complement-Free Bidders
Externalities
[HMS08] Optimal Marketing Strategies over Social Networks
Random sampling
[V10] A note on concentration of submodular functions
Truthfulness and computations
[CS03] Computational Criticisms of the Revelation Principle
[H67] Games with Incomplete Information Played by "Bayesian" Players
[BKS10] Truthful Mechanisms with Implicit Payment Computation

Bids/assignments:
[Myerson81] Yair 22 November, 15:00-17:00; 25 November, 14:00-16:00 @#05-35
[HR08] Nick 2 December, 15:00-17:00 @#05-35; 6 December, 15:00-17:00 @#05-35
[BKS10] Yair 14 March, 14:00-16:00 @#05-36; 21 March, 14:00-16:00 @#05-35
[HL10] Nick 4 April, 14:00-16:00 @#05-35; 11 April, 14:00-16:00 @#05-35;
[DNS10] Ning 25 April, 14:00-16:00 @#05-35