Which of the following best describes how game theory is used in economics to analyze oligopoly profit strategies?

• A. It models the strategic interactions between firms, allowing prediction of outcomes like collusion or competition.
• B. It assumes firms always act independently without considering rivals' actions.
• C. It focuses solely on consumer preferences to maximize individual firm profit.
• D. It determines the exact market price by calculating the average cost of production for all firms.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the context of oligopoly markets, where a few firms dominate and their decisions affect each other.
2. Step 2: Recognize that game theory is a tool used to model strategic interactions among these firms, meaning each firm's profit depends not only on its own actions but also on the actions of its rivals.
3. Step 3: Identify that game theory helps predict possible outcomes such as collusion (firms cooperating to increase profits) or competition (firms acting independently and possibly aggressively).
4. Step 4: Note that game theory does not assume firms act independently without considering rivals; instead, it explicitly incorporates the interdependence of firms' decisions.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the best description of game theory's use in economics for oligopoly profit strategies is that it models strategic interactions to predict outcomes like collusion or competition.