MATHEMATICS FOR ECONOMICS

The course aims to develop the formal lanugage needed to address and study some central problems in the socio-economic analysis. Students will be facing issues related to multivariate calcolus, dinamical systems and optimization problems.

Due to the ongoing sanitary emergency, some aspects of the programme may change to conform to new instructions.

Expected learning outcomes.

A) KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING SKILLS:
a.1) Being able to study and understand issues related to continuity, differentiability and integrability of multivariate functions;
a.2) Ability to set up and solve static optimization problems with or without constraints;
a.3) Understanding the fundamental aspects of a dynamical system.

B) ABILITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING:
b.1) Analysing advanced processes with multiple variables;
b.2) Formalizing in the language of mathematical programming problems that arise in economics and solving them with the appropriate optimization techniques.
b.3) Understanding how to set up the study of the most common dynamical systems.

C) MAKING JUDGMENTS:
c.1) Discuss problems involving many, interdependent variables.
c.2) Analysing the nature of an optimization problem and identifying its critial aspects.

The course is thought for students of the Laurea in Economia e Commercio with a good understanding of the topics covered in the first year programme in Mathematics. The contents require a good knowledge of basic linear algebra, of calculus in one varaible and of the most common techniques of differentiation and integration.

1. Multivariate Calculus. Vector spaces; linear transformations: functions with many variables; differentiation; derivatives of higher orders; implicit function; multiple integrals.
2. Static Optimization. Problems in mathematical programming; unconstrained optimization; constraints and the Lagrangian function; equality constraints; inequality constraints.
3. Dynamical systems. Difference equations; computing elementary solutions: introduction to dynamical optimization problems.

Sydsaeter, Hammond, Seierstad, e Strom. "Further Mathematics for Economic Analysis". Pearson Education. (2008). Second Edition.

There will be a written exam of at least an hour. The examination method will depend on the instructions provided by the University relative to the sanitary emergency.

The course is based on lectures and the solution of excercises. The teaching method will depend on the instructions provided by the University relative to the sanitary emergency.

Italian

Students are asked to follow the online course

Ca’ Foscari abides by Italian Law (Law 17/1999; Law 170/2010) regarding support services and accommodation available to students with disabilities. This includes students with mobility, visual, hearing and other disabilities (Law 17/1999), and specific learning impairments (Law 170/2010). If you have a disability or impairment that requires accommodations (i.e., alternate testing, readers, note takers or interpreters) please contact the Disability and Accessibility Offices in Student Services: disabilita@unive.it.

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