Economics 255B

 

 

Introduction to Mathematical Economics (Fall 2008-09)

 

 

  • Instructor: Ruqu Wang (533-2272)
    • e-mail: wangr@queensu.ca
    • Office: Dunning Hall 304
    • Office Hours: Thursdays  10:00am—12:00noon

 

  • TA:   Hajni Illes (533-6000 x74099)
    • e-mail: illesh@econ.queensu.ca
    • Office: MC A506
    • Office Hours: Tuesdays 3-4:30

 

 

 

 

  • Materials we have covered
    • Chapter 1
    • Chapter 2 (excludes Cartesian Products, p.16)
    • Chapter 3 (excludes Higher-Degree Polynomial Equations, pp. 38 - 40)
    • Chapter 4 (Sections 4.1 to 4.6)
    • Chapter 5 (Sections 5.1 to 5.7)
    • Chapter 6 (Sections 1 to 7)
    • Chapter 7 (Sections 1 to 5)
    • ------- Midterm Exam ------
    • Chapter 8 (Sections 1-4, Section 5 (up to p.199), Section 6 (up to p.210))
    • Chapter 9 (Sections 1 to 6)
    • Chapter 10 (Sections 1 to 5, very briefly)
    • Chapter 11 (Sections 1 to 6)
    • Chapter 12 (Sections 1 to 3, 5 to 7)

 

  • Materials we will cover if time allows
    • Chapter 13 (Section 1)
    • Chapter 14 (Sections 1 to 3)

 

  • All assignments are due on Friday at 1:00pm in Dunning Hall 255B Assignment Drop Box. (It is on the second floor of Dunning Hall, near the elevator.) You can bring your assignment to Thursday's class as well.
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  • Assignment #1 (Thursday, September 11, 2008): 3.3#1; 3.5#1; 4.2#2; 4.2#4; 4.2#7
  • Announcement: There will be NO ECON 255B class on Thursday, September 25, 2008.  Students are invited to the Mackintosh Lecture: “Winning Play in a Spectrum Auction: Economic Secrets Revealed” by Professor Paul Milgrom (Stanford University), 4:00pm to 5:30pm, September 25, Ellis Auditorium.
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  • Assignment #2 (Thursday, September 18, 2008): 4.3#1; 4.4#6; 4.5#1; 4.6#1; 4.6#6
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  • No assignment due this Friday, October 3, 2008 
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  • Assignment #3 (Thursday, October 2, 2008): 5.2#3; 5.2#4; 5.3#4; 5.4#5; 5.5#1
    • DUE 1:00pm, Friday, October 10, 2008
    • Note: The drop box for 255B will disappear at 1:00pm on Fridays. All late assignments or assignments dropped on the wrong box will carry a penalty of 50%.
    • Now ready to be picked up at the Distribution Center
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  • Last year’s midterm exam
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  • Midterm Exam: Thursday, October 16, 2008, in class
  • This midterm exam will cover everything we discussed in class from Chapter 1 to Chapter 7.
  • Practice questions for the midterm: 6.4#2; 6.5#3; 6.7#4; 7.1#3; 7.2#10; 7.3#1; 7.3#3; 7.3#6; 7.4#2; 7.4#5
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  • Tutorial: 3:00 -- 5:00pm, Tuesday, October 14; Place: Dunning Hall 27 (in the basement of Dunning Hall, go through the side doors or by the elevator)
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  • Assignment #4 (Thursday, October 23, 2008): 8.2#7; 8.4#2; 8.5#2; 8.5#3; 8.6#2
    • DUE 1:00pm, Friday, October 30, 2008 (Please note: Due date has been changed to 1:00pm, Friday, November 7, 2008)
    • Now ready to be picked up at the Distribution Center
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  • Please note that my office hours for Thursday, November 6 have been cancelled. Please talk to me after class if you have questions regarding the assignment. Sorry for the inconvenience.
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  • Assignment #5 (Thursday, November 6, 2008): 9.2#3; 9.3#2; 9.4#1; 9.5#3; 9.6#2
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  • Last year’s final exam
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  • Assignment #6 (Thursday, November 13, 2008): 11.2#4; 11.3#4; 11.4#1; 11.5#1(a)(b); 11.6#2
    • DUE 1:00pm, Friday, November 21, 2008
    • Now ready to be picked up at the Distribution Center (Note new hours!)
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  • Tutorial for the Final Exam: Thursday, December 11, 2008, 4:00pm—6:00pm, Conference Room, Second Floor, Dunning Hall
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  • Office Hours during the Exam Period (by Ruqu Wang, DUN 304):
    • 11:30am—1:00pm, Monday, December 15, 2008
    • 11:30am—1:00pm, Tuesday, December 16, 2008
    • 1:30pm—3:00pm, Wednesday, December 17, 2008
    • All regular office hours by the TA or me are cancelled in December.
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  • Assignment #7 (Thursday, November 20, 2008): 12.2#1; 12.3#1; 12.5#2; 12.6#1; 12.7#9
    • Do NOT hand in! Changed to practice questions.
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  • Materials covered in the Final Exam:
    • Chapter 8 (Sections 1-4, Section 5 (up to middle of p.199), Section 6 (up to middle of p.210))
    • Chapter 9 (Sections 1 to 6)
    • Chapter 10 (Basic properties and derivatives of exponential and logarithmic functions)
    • Chapter 11 (Sections 1 to 2, Section 3 (excludes characteristic vectors), Section 4, Section 5 (up to p.324), Section 6 (up to p.336))
    • Chapter 12 (Sections 1 to 2, Section 3 (up to top of p.361), Section 5 (up to middle of p.376), Section 6 (up to middle of p.388), Section 7 (up to p.391, then middle of p.399 to end))
    • Chapter 13 (Section 1) (Corner solutions in various utility maximization problems)
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  • TA’s Office Hour has been changed from Tuesday, November 25 to Thursday, November 27, 2:30pm to 4:00pm.
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  • Practice Questions for the Final Exam
    • Chapter 8: 8.1#1; 8.2#2; 8.2#3; 8.2#7; 8.3#2; 8.4#1; 8.4#3; 8.5#1; 8.5#4; 8.5#5; 8.5#8; 8.6#4; 8.6#5
    • Chapter 9: 9.2#1; 9.2#2; 9.3#1; 9.4#3; 9.5#2; 9.6#1
    • Chapter 10: 10.5#1; 10.5#3; 10.5#7
    • Chapter 11: 11.2#1; 11.2#2; 11.2#3; 11.3#1; 11.3#3; 11.4#2; 11.4#3; 11.4#4; 11.5#2; 11.6#4
    • Chapter 12: 12.2#3; 12.2#4; 12.3#3; 12.5#1; 12.6#2; 12.6#8; 12.7#8
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  • The Participation Mark is 9 for the whole class. Good luck in the exam.
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