Published Jul 08, 2022
This course is designed to review the basic mathematical background that incoming masters and doctoral students will need for their core economics and econometrics courses.
We will cover the following topics. The focus will be on the special tools each broad topic that are used most often in economic and econometric analysis.
Mathematical basics: Sets, functions, logic and methods of proof
Linear algebra: Vector spaces, matrices and rules for their use
Calculus: Differentiation rules, Taylor expansions, implicit differentiation, integration
Convexity: Convex sets, concave functions and quasiconcave functions
Optimization: Unconstrained and constrained optimization, convexity, the envelope theorem
Probability theory: Basic theory, random variables, special distributions
Course notes and video lectures are available at https://arts.uwaterloo.ca/~tmparker/600/ . A UW password is required to see this content page.
| Title / Name | Notes / Comments | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Course notes | Available at https://arts.uwaterloo.ca/~tmparker/600/ | Yes |
| Component | Value |
|---|---|
| Assignments | 100% |
Your course mark will be calculated on the basis of six assignments. Four of the assignments will be posted every few weekdays on the course Learn site. Two comprehensive assignments covering all previous material will also be posted at the end of each of the two weeks. Assignments will be submitted electronically (and can be repeated) so you will have immediate feedback about your progress through the course.
Assignments will have suggested due dates, because the course topics build on each other from beginning to end. You are strongly encouraged to finish assignments in order and by their suggested due dates. However, due to the challenges of attending courses electronically and completing assignments remotely, your final course mark will be computed based on your assignment marks as they stand by noon EDT on September 9, 2022.
The final course mark is the average over all the homework assignments.
No assignment screening software will be used.
We acknowledge that we are living and working on the traditional territory of the Attawandaron (also known as Neutral), Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples. The University of Waterloo is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land promised to the Six Nations that includes ten kilometres on each side of the Grand River.
For more information about the purpose of territorial acknowledgements, please see the CAUT Guide to Acknowledging Traditional Territory.
Academic integrity: In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the University of Waterloo community are expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility. [Check the Office of Academic Integrity for more information.]
Grievance: A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of their university life has been unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. Read Policy 70, Student Petitions and Grievances, Section 4. When in doubt, please be certain to contact the department’s administrative assistant who will provide further assistance.
Discipline: A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity to avoid committing an academic offence, and to take responsibility for their actions. [Check the Office of Academic Integrity for more information.] A student who is unsure whether an action constitutes an offence, or who needs help in learning how to avoid offences (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about “rules” for group work/collaboration should seek guidance from the course instructor, academic advisor, or the undergraduate associate dean. For information on categories of offences and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy 71, Student Discipline. For typical penalties, check Guidelines for the Assessment of Penalties.
Appeals: A decision made or penalty imposed under Policy 70, Student Petitions and Grievances (other than a petition) or Policy 71, Student Discipline may be appealed if there is a ground. A student who believes they have a ground for an appeal should refer to Policy 72, Student Appeals.
Note for students with disabilities: AccessAbility Services, located in Needles Hall, Room 1401, collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability, please register with AccessAbility Services at the beginning of each academic term.
Turnitin.com: Text matching software (Turnitin®) may be used to screen assignments in this course. Turnitin® is used to verify that all materials and sources in assignments are documented. Students' submissions are stored on a U.S. server, therefore students must be given an alternative (e.g., scaffolded assignment or annotated bibliography), if they are concerned about their privacy and/or security. Students will be given due notice, in the first week of the term and/or at the time assignment details are provided, about arrangements and alternatives for the use of Turnitin in this course.
It is the responsibility of the student to notify the instructor if they, in the first week of term or at the time assignment details are provided, wish to submit alternate assignment.