Philippe Askenazy Master
1 APE
Introduction to economics, statistics and optimization
(for non-economists)
ROOM: A4, Jourdan Campus.
This course is designed for students with a solid background in Mathematics
but a poor one in Economics.
The course will be taught in English except if all students are
French-speaking
NB: Slides are available after the course
First part: Introduction to
Economics
10/02/09: 9.15 am -> 12.20
The scope of Economics
and of economists
The methods and main
principles of Economics
10/09/08: 9.15 am -> 12.20
Class exercises 1
(1h): your faculty
Second Part: Specific
mathematical tools in Economics
10/16/09: 9.15 am -> 12.30
Kuhn-Tucker Theorem
Maximum principle
Phase diagram
Transversality conditions
10/23/09: 9.15 am -> 12.30
Bellman, optimal control
11/06/09: 10.00 am -> 12.00
Probability (conditioning…)
11/13/09: 8.30 am -> 11.00
Statistics (estimation, tests)
11/20/09: 9.15 am -> 13.00
Third Part: Formal analysis
of economic questions… without equation
Ex: Who pays Payroll
taxes?
We focus on intuition rather than formal proofs.
Active preparation and participation to class exercises are associated
with a bonus for the final note.
Recommended textbooks: Simon and Blume Mathematics for Economists, Renshaw Maths for economics,
Mankiw Principles
of Economics, Case and Fare Principles
of Economics.