EC220-15 Mathematical Economics 1A

Department: Economics
Level: Undergraduate Level 2
Module leader: Costas Cavounidis
Credit value: 15
Module duration: 10 weeks
Assessment: Multiple
Study location: University of Warwick main campus, Coventry

Introductory description

Mathematical Economics 1A, "Game Theory," is an introduction to the rigorous mathematical study of strategic interactions. Students will learn how game theorists model such interactions, and how those models can be analyzed. By the end of the module, they will have developed a formidable toolbox of game-theoretic techniques, and will be familiar with a variety of applications of these techniques to real-world situations, both economic and otherwise.

Module web page

Module aims

Mathematical Economics 1a, “Introduction to Game Theory”, aims to provide a basic understanding of pure game theory and also introduce the student to a number of applications of game theory to economic problems of resource allocation.

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

The module will typically cover the following topics:Games in strategic form: Nash equilibrium and its applications to voting games, oligopoly, provision of public goods.Games in extensive form: sub game perfect equilibrium and its applications to voting games, repeated games.Static games with incomplete information: Bayesian equilibrium and its applications to auctions, contracts and mechanism design.Dynamic games of incomplete information: Perfect Bayesian equilibrium, Sequential equilibrium and its application to signalling games.Bargaining theory: Nash bargaining, non-cooperative bargaining with alternating offers and applications to economic markets.Evolutionary Game Theory

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

Subject Specific and Professional Skills:...demonstrate understanding of the tools of game theory, and the ability to apply them to wide classes of problems. The teaching and learning methods that enable students to achieve this learning outcome are: Lectures, seminars, guided reading and independent study. The summative assessment methods that measure the achievement of this learning outcome are: Tests and examination

Indicative reading list

Please see Talis Aspire link for most up to date list.

View reading list on Talis Aspire

Subject specific skills

Students will have the opportunity to develop skills in:
Analytical thinking and communication
Analytical reasoning
Critical thinking
Strategic thinking
Problem-solving
Abstraction
Policy evaluation
Analysis of incentives
Concepts of Simultaneity and Endogeneity
Analysis of optimisation
Understanding of Uncertainty and Incomplete Information

Transferable skills

Students will have the opportunity to develop:
Numeracy and quantitative skills
Written communication skills
Oral communication skills
Mathematical, statistical and data-based research skills

Study time

Type	Required
Lectures	20 sessions of 1 hour (13%)
Seminars	5 sessions of 1 hour (3%)
Private study	125 hours (83%)
Total	150 hours

Private study description

Private study will be required in order to prepare for seminars/classes, to review lecture notes, to prepare for forthcoming assessments, tests, and exams, and to undertake wider reading around the subject.

Costs

No further costs have been identified for this module.

You do not need to pass all assessment components to pass the module.

Students can register for this module without taking any assessment.

Assessment group DB

	Weighting	Eligible for self-certification
Test 1	20%	No
50 minute in class test
Online Examination	80%	No
A paper which examines the course content and ensures learning outcomes are achieved. ~Platforms - AEP Answerbook provided by department Students may use a calculator

Assessment group R

	Weighting	Study time	Eligible for self-certification
Online Examination - Resit	100%		No
A paper which examines the course content and ensures learning outcomes are achieved. ~Platforms - AEP Answerbook provided by department Students may use a calculator

Feedback on assessment

The Department of Economics is committed to providing high quality and timely feedback to students on their assessed work, to enable them to review and continuously improve their work. We are dedicated to ensuring feedback is returned to students within 20 University working days of their assessment deadline. Feedback for assignments is returned either on a standardised assessment feedback cover sheet which gives information both by tick boxes and by free comments or via free text comments on tabula, together with the annotated assignment. For tests and problem sets, students receive solutions as an important form of feedback and their marked assignment, with a breakdown of marks and comments by question and sub-question. Students are informed how to access their feedback, either by collecting from the Undergraduate Office or via tabula. Module leaders often provide generic feedback for the cohort outlining what was done well, less well, and what was expected on the assignment and any other common themes. This feedback also includes a cumulative distribution function with summary statistics so students can review their performance in relation to the cohort. This feedback is in addition to the individual-specific feedback on assessment performance.

Past exam papers for EC220

Pre-requisites

Any of:

EC106-24 Introduction to Economics OR
EC107-30 Economics 1 OR
EC109-30 Microeconomics 1 OR
EC137-15 Economics 1: Micro

AND (FOR ECONOMICS STUDENTS ONLY)

EC121-12 Mathematical Techniques A AND
EC122-12 Statistical Techniques A AND
EC125-6 Computing and Data Analysis

EC123-12 Mathematical Techniques B AND
EC124-12 Statistical Techniques B AND
EC125-6 Computing and Data Analysis

EC106 or EC107 for GL11 and other Maths students

To take this module, you must have passed:

Any of

Post-requisite modules

If you pass this module, you can take:

EC334-15 Topics in Financial Economics: Corporate Finance and Markets
EC314-15 Topics in Economic Theory
EC341-15 Mathematical Economics 2: Mechanism Design and Alternative Games
EC341-15 Mathematical Economics 2: Mechanism Design and Alternative Games
EC341-15 Mathematical Economics 2: Mechanism Design and Alternative Games
EC301-15 Mathematical Economics 2: Dynamics, Uncertainty & Asymmetrical Information
EC301-15 Mathematical Economics 2: Dynamics, Uncertainty & Asymmetrical Information
EC301-15 Mathematical Economics 2: Dynamics, Uncertainty & Asymmetrical Information

Courses

This module is Core optional for:

Year 2 of UMAA-GL11 Undergraduate Mathematics and Economics
Year 2 of UECA-GL12 Undergraduate Mathematics and Economics (with Intercalated Year)

This module is Optional for:

TECA-L1PA Postgraduate Taught Economics (Diploma plus MSc)
- Year 1 of L1PA Economics (Diploma plus MSc)
- Year 2 of L1PA Economics (Diploma plus MSc)
UECA-3 Undergraduate Economics 3 Year Variants
- Year 2 of L100 Economics
- Year 2 of L116 Economics and Industrial Organization
Year 2 of UECA-4 Undergraduate Economics 4 Year Variants
Year 2 of UECA-LM1D Undergraduate Economics, Politics and International Studies
Year 3 of UMAA-GL11 Undergraduate Mathematics and Economics
Year 4 of UECA-GL12 Undergraduate Mathematics and Economics (with Intercalated Year)
Year 2 of UPHA-V7ML Undergraduate Philosophy, Politics and Economics
UPHA-V7MM Undergraduate Philosophy, Politics and Economics (with Intercalated year)
- Year 4 of V7MQ Philosophy, Politics and Economics (Bipartite) with Intercalated Year
- Year 4 of V7MH Philosophy, Politics and Economics - Economics/Philosophy Bipartite (Economics Major) (with Intercalated year)
- Year 4 of V7MI Philosophy, Politics and Economics - Philosophy/Economics Bipartite (Philosophy Major) (with Intercalated year)
- Year 4 of V7MJ Philosophy, Politics and Economics - Philosophy/Politics Bipartite (with Intercalated year)
- Year 4 of V7MG Philosophy, Politics and Economics - Politics/Economics Bipartite (Politics Major) (with Intercalated year)

This module is Option list B for:

UMAA-G105 Undergraduate Master of Mathematics (with Intercalated Year)
- Year 2 of G105 Mathematics (MMath) with Intercalated Year
- Year 3 of G105 Mathematics (MMath) with Intercalated Year
- Year 5 of G105 Mathematics (MMath) with Intercalated Year
UMAA-G100 Undergraduate Mathematics (BSc)
- Year 2 of G100 Mathematics
- Year 3 of G100 Mathematics
UMAA-G103 Undergraduate Mathematics (MMath)
- Year 2 of G100 Mathematics
- Year 2 of G103 Mathematics (MMath)
- Year 3 of G100 Mathematics
- Year 3 of G103 Mathematics (MMath)
- Year 4 of G103 Mathematics (MMath)
UMAA-G106 Undergraduate Mathematics (MMath) with Study in Europe
- Year 2 of G106 Mathematics (MMath) with Study in Europe
- Year 3 of G106 Mathematics (MMath) with Study in Europe
- Year 4 of G106 Mathematics (MMath) with Study in Europe
Year 2 of UMAA-G1NC Undergraduate Mathematics and Business Studies
Year 2 of UMAA-G1N2 Undergraduate Mathematics and Business Studies (with Intercalated Year)
UMAA-G101 Undergraduate Mathematics with Intercalated Year
- Year 2 of G101 Mathematics with Intercalated Year
- Year 4 of G101 Mathematics with Intercalated Year