Game Representations

Game Theory · Axiom Academy

Unit 1 - Introduction to Game Theory The normal form (or strategic form) represents a game as a matrix showing all possible strategy combinations and their payoffs simultaneously. Best for: Simultaneous-move games, finding Nash equilibria, and seeing all strategy combinations at once. 2. Extensive Form Representation The extensive form represents a game as a tree, showing the sequence of moves, decision points, and information structure. Best for: Sequential games, analyzing backward induction, and showing information sets and timing. The same game can be represented in both forms. Here we see a simple two-player game in both normal form and extensive form.

This is the written version of the interactive lesson above. See the full Game Theory course.