Release date: Nov. 20, 2003
Contact: Deb Hammacher, Associate Director, University Media Relations,
at 404-727-0644 or dhammac@emory.edu

Emory Students Get in the Game of Mathematics

Poker, backgammon and point spreads are all part of an Emory University freshman seminar on game theory that takes a somewhat literal approach to this sub-discipline of mathematics.

In the course, students learn about mathematics from the areas of probability, game theory and combinatorial design theory by investigating topics from the world of sports, competitive games of strategy, casino games, lotteries and the mathematical theory of games.

"The class has been challenging and thought-provoking, but an incredible amount of fun as well – not what you would expect in a math class," says Kelly Kristal, a first-year student from San Francisco.

By uncovering the mathematical principles underlying games of chance and fun, the students' strategic-thinking muscles are flexed—and those skills are applicable anywhere, says mathematics professor Robert Roth.

"As with any college mathematics course for non-math majors, the goal here is not so much the development of the specific mathematical tools, but rather to acquaint the students with the kind of critical, analytical, sometimes methodical -- sometimes very creative -- thinking that makes mathematical exploration possible," says Roth.

Among the many game-related activities, the class has done an analysis of the predicted winners of college and professional football games, with the point spreads, and also computed related probabilities such as the likelihood of predicting 12 or more games correctly out of a 15-game slate. Since point spreads make predications more difficult, Roth says his students have had about a 50 percent success rate in naming the winners of football games this season, about average and in line with professional betting lines.

Probabilities have continued to be in play as the class has learned how to strategically play backgammon and Texas Hold-'em poker. (Roth admits the students are far more expert at poker than he is). As part of playing the game, the students conducted a complete combinatorial analysis of the traditional hierarchy of five-card poker hands which resulted in the conclusion that the hierarchy is correct: A hand which is harder to get always beats a hand which is easier to get.

"Thinking about probabilities and deductions, and making the intelligent decisions required to play interesting games skillfully -- these are indeed the sorts of mental activities from which students can benefit in an introductory mathematics course and onward in their studies," Roth says.

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