MATHEMATICS FOR SOCIAL SCIENCES

The first part of the course will introduce the mathematical analysis of some important Voting and Apportionment methods.
The course provides an introduction to essential mathematical concepts and tools which are useful for quantitative social sciences, including key concepts of calculus in one variable and of optimization.
This also serves as an introduction to thinking mathematically. Moreover the course aims to present some basic financial mathematical tools necessary for the analysis of financial problems.

The course aims at introducing students to the fundamentals of calculus in one variable. The course begins with the fundamental building blocks of mathematics, then covers essential topics such as derivatives and optimization.
At the end of the course students should have acquired the ability to analyze properties of functions of one variable and the ability to compute derivatives and they should be able to maximize/minimize a quantity described by a one variable function. Moreover students are expected to know and use the main concepts necessary to describe and understand main financing and investment instruments.

The course assumes that students have no mathematical background beyond secondary school algebra.

• Money Management
• Voting methods and Apportionment
• Functions of One Variable
• Properties of functions
• Differentiation
• Derivatives in use
• Single-Variable Optimization

Textbooks are open-source and can be freely downloaded:
Donna Kirk, “Contemporary Mathematics”, https://openstax.org/det ails/books/contemporary-mathematics.
(When appropriate,) Gilbert Strang and Edwin “Jed” Herman, “Calculus I”, https://openstax.org/details/books/calculus-volume-1

Grading is determined by a final written test with exercises and questions , a project about voting theory, and two sets of problems.

written

This course is designed to offer students a clear, fair, and comprehensive evaluation of their academic performance, taking into account the final examination, oral presentations, and homework assignments. Grades are intended to reflect not only the mastery of mathematical concepts but also the ability to apply quantitative reasoning to issues within the social sciences. Students achieving higher marks will demonstrate technical accuracy, analytical insight, and clarity in both their written and oral work.

Lectures and pratice sessions.