| Algorithmic Game Theory [1] Going into CS as an undergrad, I didn't anticipate the depth that the field had in other domains -- and for some time, I wanted to double major in {math, biology, economics} to supplement my education. However, while in the algorithms course, I stumbled upon a connection between linear programming and 2-player zero-sum games (the minimax theorem [2]). Up to that point, I had never considered the idea of using a computational lens to view problems outside of CS, such as "what is the complexity of Nash equilibrium?" It turns out Algorithmic Game Theory can be applied to study theory of auctions (Why does Ebay use 2nd-priced auctions?) [3], tournament design (Why would a team purposely lose?) [4], or something as basic as routing (Why does building more roads lead to more congestion?). [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algorithmic_game_theory [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimax_theorem [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auction_theory [4] https://theory.stanford.edu/~tim/f13/l/l1.pdf |