Which economists have made prominent contributions to understanding of game theory?

Game theory is a branch of economics that studies decision-making in strategic situations, where the outcome of one person's decision depends on the decisions of others. Many economists have made significant contributions to our understanding of game theory.

1. John Nash: A mathematician and economist, Nash is known for his contributions to the development of non-cooperative game theory, which considers strategic interactions among multiple agents. Nash's concept of the Nash equilibrium, which describes a situation in which no player has an incentive to change their strategy unilaterally, is a central concept in game theory.
2. Reinhard Selten: A German economist, Selten is known for his work on game theory and experimental economics. Selten's contributions to the study of repeated games, in which players interact multiple times and can learn from each other's actions, have been particularly influential.
3. Robert Aumann: An Israeli economist, Aumann is known for his work on game theory and the economics of information. Aumann's contributions to the study of repeated games and his concept of correlated equilibrium, which describes a situation in which players coordinate their strategies based on common knowledge of the game, have been particularly influential.
4. Thomas Schelling: An American economist, Schelling is known for his work on strategic behavior and bargaining. Schelling's concept of the focal point, which describes a situation in which players are able to coordinate their strategies without explicit communication, has been widely used in game theory.
5. Jean Tirole: A French economist, Tirole is known for his work on game theory, industrial organization, and regulation. Tirole's contributions to the study of mechanism design, which considers how to design incentives for agents to achieve desirable outcomes, have been particularly influential.

These are just a few examples of the many economists who have made significant contributions to our understanding of game theory. Their work has helped us to better understand the strategic interactions that occur in many economic and social situations, and to develop strategies for achieving desirable outcomes in these situations.