Course: ECON-C1100 - Mathematics for Economists, Lecture, 6.9.2022-15.12.2022

General

General
General
The aim of the course is to provide students with a thorough understanding of the main mathematical concepts and
tools used in Economics. We will study:
- linear algebra: we will focus on how to solve systems of linear equations;
- calculus of several variables: we will analyze functions of several variables and learn how to apply differential calculus to them; optimization: we will learn how to find the points in the domain of a function that maximize or minimize the function’s value, with or without constraints;
- dynamical systems: we will focus on how to solve difference and
- differential equations.

Schedule
First period
- Lectures 1-4: Linear Algebra: Systems of linear equations, matrix algebra, linear independence (Chapters 6-11)
- Lectures 5-8: Calculus of Several Variables: Functions of several variables, differential calculus, implicit functions (Chapters 12-15)
- Lectures 9-11: Convexity and Unconstrained Optimization: Convex, concave and quasiconcave functions, quadratic forms, unconstrained
optimization (Chapters 16-17, 21)
- Lecture 12: Review
Second period
- Lectures 13-15: Constrained Optimization (Chapters 18-19)
- Lectures 16-17: Difference equations (Chapters 23)
- Lecture 18-21: Ordinary differential equations (Chapters 24-25)
- Lecture 22: Review
Textbook
Carl P. Simon and Lawrence Blume, Mathematics for Economists, Norton, 1994
Grading
80 % exam/partial exams
20 % problem sets
Exams
midterm + final exam or an exam that covers entire material
midterm: results, comments on grading
final exam: results, comments on grading
results of February 2023 exam
1st midterm 21st October, final exam 15th December
Some notes: to pass the course you need to get 40 % of the total points available from midterms/exam+ exercises