Laajuus: 6

Aikataulu: 08.01.2019 - 20.02.2019

Vastuuopettaja (voimassa 01.08.2018-31.07.2020): 

Iivo Vehviläinen

Kurssin yhteystiedot (koskee tätä kurssikertaa): 

Iivo Vehviläinen

iivo.vehvilainen@aalto.fi

+358 50 345 3705


Opetusperiodi (voimassa 01.08.2018-31.07.2020): 

III Spring (2018-2019), Otaniemi campus

III Spring (2019-2020), Otaniemi campus

Osaamistavoitteet (voimassa 01.08.2018-31.07.2020): 

Topics in Economic Theory and Policy: Economics of Strategy for Online and Digital Markets

At the end of the course the student has learned how economics can be used to understand and analyze firm decisions and strategies in modern market places, such as online and digital markets. A key objective is to provide an introduction to applications of game theory and mechanism design by connecting these tools to practical applications.

Sisältö (voimassa 01.08.2018-31.07.2020): 

Economic approch for analyzing strategic interactions between firms, basic workhorse models of competition, introduction to auction theory, and preliminaries of network effects and platform economics. Practical applications are used to illustrate how digital and online markets are different, what economic theories are behind successful online platforms and where policy interventions might be required.
   

 

Tarkennukset kurssin sisältöön (koskee tätä kurssikertaa): 

Most valuable firms in the world are platforms that operate online and offer digital market channels. This course introduces the students to the economic analysis of platform design, pricing, and policy. 

The course is divided into two parts. As an introduction to the first part, we review the economic approach to analyzing firm strategies, and go through the basic workhorse models of competition. We use these tools to understand what has made online and digital market places so successful. The key concepts are preferences and data on it (what people want to do) and efficiency of using the data (how to achieve what people want to do). Particular attention is on auctions, a popular method for selling goods in online markets. 

The second part of the course covers the economics of platforms that serve two sides of a market (for example consumers and advertisers). A requisite to understanding how such a platform can be successful is the analysis of the network effects that additional participants bring to the platform. We study the two most important strategies that a platform firm chooses: pricing and openness. We conclude by an overview of the policy and regulatory issues, such as the role of privacy, the market power of platform giants, and discrimination and other externalities.

The course uses several real-world examples to illustrate the underlying concepts, and we will have a guest lecture. Assignments (both paper reviews and exercises) are an integral part of passing the course. 


Toteutus, työmuodot ja arvosteluperusteet (voimassa 01.08.2018-31.07.2020): 

40% exam
60% assignments

Exam will be changed to home exam.

Spring 2020 re-take exam replaced by independent project.

Tarkennetut arviointiperusteet ja -menetelmät ja tutustuminen arviointiin (koskee tätä kurssikertaa): 

There will be six graded exercise sets. The final grade will be based on these problem sets (60%), and a final exam (40%). To pass the course a passing grade in the exam is required.

Työmäärä toteutustavoittain (voimassa 01.08.2018-31.07.2020): 

Contact teaching 30h
Independent work 127h
Exam 3h presence
Total 160h (6 ECTS)

Spring 2020 re-take exam replaced by independent project.

Tarkennettu kuormittavuuslaskelma (koskee tätä kurssikertaa): 

Independent work time allocation is budgeted as follows:

  • Learning diary, 24 h
  • Reading assignments, 11 x 4 h = 44 h
  • Exercises, 6 x 4 h = 24 h
  • Exam preparation, 41 h

Oppimateriaali (voimassa 01.08.2018-31.07.2020): 

Reading material assigned during the course.

Tarkennukset oppimateriaaliin (koskee tätä kurssikertaa): 

Any microeconomics textbook should be helpful throughout the course; for example, Hal Varian, “Intermediate Microeconomics: A Modern Approach” (Eighth Edition or higher), is not a bad choice. Purchase of such book for this course is not mandatory; the material listed here and given at the lectures is more than sufficient as well.

The numbering above in the schedule refers to free ebook “The Economy” by the CORE initiative, which makes a good read otherwise as well, see https://www.core-econ.org.  

Each lecture will be backed up by reading material that will be made available through the course homepage and are listed in the weekly schedule. Instructions on the reading materials will be given at the lectures. 

Kurssin kotisivu (voimassa 01.08.2018-31.07.2020): 

https://mycourses.aalto.fi/course/search.php?search=31C01000

Esitiedot (voimassa 01.08.2018-31.07.2020): 

The course makes use of game theory and mechanism design, but no prior knowledge of either is required. Courses 31C00100 Intermediate Microeconomics and 30C01100 Mathematical Methods for Economists or equivalent would constitute a useful background knowledge.

Arvosteluasteikko (voimassa 01.08.2018-31.07.2020): 

0 - 5

Ilmoittautuminen (voimassa 01.08.2018-31.07.2020): 

Via WebOodi

Kurssin aikataulu (koskee tätä kurssikertaa): 

Please see separate weekly schedule from MyCourses.

Opintojakson kuvaus

Ilmoittautuminen ja lisätiedot