18 Aug 2010
What game theory can tell us about a possible Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict
Armenia (right), Azerbaijan (left), courtesy of wikipedia.org
I meant for this most latest article in the Faster Times to come out right on the tail of my last, provocatively-headlined article, but a vacations got in the way.
In it, I take a look at a fascinating game theory study done by a master’s student in Tbilisi and the international controversy it caused. Check it out!
The four-year-old International School of Economics at Tbilisi State University (ISET) in Tbilisi, Georgia was founded to unite students and faculty from all three South Caucasus countries for a Western-style education in economics. And, as if undergoing a rite of passage in its growth as an institution, it underwent its first major academic controversy this year.
Students were agitated, donors threatened to withdraw funding and an ambassador warned of unilateral sanctions.
What caused all the fuss? — A master’s thesis that used game theory to create a model for the probability of war between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Ani Harutyunyan, 23, originally of Vanadzor, Armenia, set out last November to create a model that could determine the probability of all-out war breaking out between the two countries over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh based on a variety of factors.
Now, mind you, creating a game theory model is not the same as predicting whether war will happen or not – it’s not a magic eight ball.
To keep reading click here.