Essence of Humanities and Social Sciences47: Decision Making D 1

Academic unit or major

Humanities and social science courses

Instructor(s)

Takehiro Inohara

Class Format

Lecture (HyFlex)

Media-enhanced courses

-

Day of week/Period
(Classrooms)

3-4 Wed

Class

1

Course Code

LAH.S440

Number of credits

100

Course offered

2025

Offered quarter

1Q

Syllabus updated

Apr 3, 2025

Language

Japanese

Syllabus

Course overview and goals

The theme of this course is “GMCR: Graph Model for Conflict Resolution.”

This course deals with fundamental concepts and analysis methods of the Graph Model for Conflict Resolution (GMCR) through lectures, discussion, and working on exercise problems. Specifically, this course treats the topics such as “Rationality Analysis,” “Coalition Analysis,” “Attitude Analysis,” “Efficiency Analysis　(Pareto Optimality) ,” “Prisoners’ Dilemma,” “Chicken Game,” “The Gift of the Magi; Tragedy of Commons,” and “Elmira Conflict.”

Taking decision making situations which involve two or more decision makers as objects, this course aims to cultivate the students’ abilities to: select an appropriate mathematical model for describing and analyzing an object; describe the object by a mathematical model; draw some insights from the results of analysis of the mathematical model; convey the analysis results to others concisely.

Course description and aims

Upon completion of this course, taking decision making situations which involves two or more decision makers as objects, students should be able to:
1) State the definitions of mathematical models using examples of the objects described by the mathematical models;
2) Apply analysis methods to examples of the objects described by the mathematical models, and explain the analysis results to others;
3) Select an appropriate mathematical model and describe an object; and
4) Apply analysis methods to an object described by a mathematical model, and explain the analysis results to others.

Keywords

Graph Model for Conflict Resolution (GMCR); Rationality Analysis; Coalition Analysis; Attitude Analysis; Efficiency Analysis　(Pareto Optimality); Stability; Equilibrium; Nash; GMR; SMR; SEQ; Movements; Improvements; Sanctions; Escape; Prisoners’ Dilemma; Chicken Game; The Gift of the Magi; Tragedy of Commons; Elmira Conflict

Competencies

• Specialist skills
• Intercultural skills
• Communication skills
• Critical thinking skills
• Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

First, a lecture on the definitions of basic concepts and analysis methods is presented. Then, the students examine the contents of the lecture, and work on exercises. After the class, each student writes and submits a “summary report” on what he/she learned through individual observation, other students' ideas, the lecture, and exercises. Also, the students submit the answers to the exercises.

Course schedule/Objectives

Study advice (preparation and review)

To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.

Textbook(s)

1. Takehiro Inohara, “GMCR: An Introduction,”Keiso-syobo, 2023 (in Japanese)（ISBN-13: 978-4326504985）
2. T. Inohara, Relational dominant strategy equilibrium as a generalization of dominant strategy equilibrium in terms of a social psychological aspect of decision making, European Journal of Operational Research, Vol.182, No.2, pp.856-866, October, 2007.
3. T. Inohara and K. W. Hipel, Coalition analysis in the graph model for conflict resolution, Systems Engineering, Vol.11, No.4, 343-359, 2008.
4. T. Inohara, Keith W. Hipel, and S. Walker, Conflict analysis approaches for investigating attitudes and misperceptions in the War of 1812, Journal of Systems Science and Systems Engineering, Vol.16, No.2, pp.181-201, June, 2007.
5. T. Inohara, Similarities, differences, and preservation of efficiencies, with application to attitude analysis, within the Graph Model for Conflict Resolution, European Journal of Operational Research, Volume 306, Issue 3, 2023, 1 May 2023, Pages 1330-1348.

Reference books, course materials, etc.

Lecture slides will be provided via Science Tokyo LMS.

[Reference books and materials]
1. T. Inohara, GMCR: The Graph Model for Conflict Resolution, Communications of the Operations Research Society of Japan:
Operations research as a management science research, Vol.58, No.4, pp. 204 -211, April 1, 2013.
2. T. Inohara, Relational Nash equilibrium and interrelationships among relational and rational equilibrium concepts, Applied Mathematics and Computation, Vol.199, No.2, pp.704-715, June, 2008.
3. T. Inohara and K. W. Hipel, Interrelationships among noncooperative and coalition stability concepts, Journal of Systems Science and Systems Engineering, Vol.17, No.1, pp.1-29, March, 2008.

Evaluation methods and criteria

Assessment will be based on “summary reports” (brief summary of what you learned in each class)" (50% in total) and answers to exercises (50% in total.)

There are no make-up assignments for any absence from classes, regardless of the reason.
Read the course materials offered via Science Tokyo LMS to find out the content of the class you missed.

Related courses

• LAH.T108 ： Decision Making A
• LAH.T208 ： Decision Making B
• LAH.T307 ： Decision Making C
• LAH.S508 ： Essence of Humanities and Social Sciences39: Decision Making E
• SHS.M461 ： Graduate Methodologies in Cognition, Mathematics and Information S1

Prerequisites

Prospective students should have interests in analysis of decision making situations.
It is not necessary to have taken Decision Making E to take this course and understand its contents.

Contact information (e-mail and phone) Notice : Please replace from ”[at]” to ”@”(half-width character).

Prof. Takehiro Inohara, inostaff[at]shs.ens.isct.ac.jp

When inquiring by emails, include the course title "Decision Making D" in the subject, and your student ID and name in the body of the email.

Office hours

Make an appointment by email.

Other

This course consists of the content of science.

No classes will be given on April 9(Wed).
Seven total classes will be held for this course: April 16 (Wed), April 23 (Wed), April 30 (Wed), May 7 (Wed), May 14 (Wed), May 21(Wed), May 28(Wed).