Economic Analysis as a Frontier of Theoretical Computer Science
COMPSCI 2370
Subject & Catalog Number
Course Information
Description
How can we use tools from statistical learning theory to design better auctions? Can we use cryptography to better implement matching mechanisms? And how should we approach formally proving that welfare in Nash equilibria for many games is not "much worse" than in the social optimum? This course explores the application of diverse ideas, techniques, and solution aesthetics from theoretical computer science to derive meaningful new insights into classic economic problems. The three main themes are approximation theorems (including bounding the loss in revenue or welfare due to lack of information, to strategic behavior, or to impracticality of the optimal mechanism); various notions of complexity (including computational complexity, communication complexity, and sample complexity); and cryptographic tools (including cryptographic commitments, multiparty computation, and zero-knowledge proofs). Economic applications mostly include analysis of equilibria, pricing, and mechanism design.
Course Notes
This course is also offered as ECON 2070. Students may not take both for credit. This course was previously numbered CS 237.
Recommended Prep
Computer Science 1360 (formerly CS 136)
Available for Harvard Cross Registration
