During this coming ICS, I will be chairing a panel on “Algorithmic Game Theory and Economics: Area, Technique, or Fad?” with co-panelists Peter Bro-Miltersen, Silvio Micali, and Shang-Hua Teng. I would like to use this blog for two tasks related to this panel:
- I think that it would be nice to have an additional “devil’s advocate” panelist who can argue for something like “this whole AGT thing is a fad destined to be soon forgotten”. Ideas for such a possible panelist that will be attending ICS are welcome (as comments or in email to me).
- Questions to the panelists can be left as comments on this post.
Turing's Invisible Hand 
Great! This is the real scientific attitude: not being afraid to question the importance of your own field!
ECONOMY, kind sir, is a fad. 🙂
A very worthwhile question indeed!
I believe the “fad” question has always been at the back of most AGT&E researchers’ minds. My own way of dealing with it was to stay as close to “A” as possible — in fact I was drawn to AGT&E as a possible source of new algorithmic problems.
I must say AGT&E delivered every bit I had hoped for! And a bit more — getting to know some basic “E” and meeting some of its great personalities!
which day it will be?
whats wrong with being a fad?