Class Times

The class meets Tuesday and Thursday from 11:00am to 12:15pm in PC-332.

Description

This course is the second portion of the graduate microeconomic theory sequence. It covers the theory of competitive markets.

Textbook

Andreu Mas-Colell, Michael Whinston, and Jerry Green, Microeconomic Theory, Oxford University Press, New York, 1995.

We will also use my manuscript on microeconomics. I will send a pdf of these notes to each member of the class.

Office Hours and Contact Info

Finals week office hours are 1:30-4:30 on Tuesday and Wednesday. I will be happy to make an appointment for another time if that is more convenient. My office is DM-311A, my phone number is 305-348-3287, and my email is <boydj@fiu.edu>.

Course Outline

The tentative plan is to cover roughly a chapter per week. However, we will not cover all of the material in all of the chapters, but I may add material that is not in the book. I will periodically update the list to mention the sections covered.

Exams, Homework, and Class Participation

The in-class midterm will be worth 35% of your grade. The final is worth 50% of your grade.

The mid-term was given on Thursday, February 23. Here are the answers.

The final will be in our regular classroom (PC-332) at the officially scheduled time: 9:45am on Thursday, April 26. It will be comprehensive. Here are the answers.

Sample Midterm Exams

Here are two previous midterm exams: exam #1, exam #2.

Versions with answers are also available: exam #1, exam #2.

Sample Final Exams

Here are three previous final exams: exam #1, exam #2, exam #3.

Versions with answers are also available: exam #1, exam #2, exam #3.

Homework and Class Participation

Homework assignments and class participation will count for the remaining 15% of your grade. Homework assignments will appear here as they are made.

  1. Problems 1.4, 1.10, 1.17, 1.22, and 1.26 from the notes were due on Thursday, January 26.
  2. Problems 2.3, 2.8, 2.10, 2.14, and 2.23 from the notes were due on Thursday, February 2.
  3. Problems 3.3, 3.7, 3.9, 3.15, and 3.19 from the notes were due on Tuesday, February 14.
  4. Problems 5.8, 5.10, 8.1, 8.2, and 8.4 from the notes were due on Tuesday, March 20.
  5. Problems 11.4, 11.5, 6.2, 6.3, and 7.3 from the notes are due on Thursday, April 5.

Answers to homework

  1. Click for answers to problem set #1.
  2. Click for answers to problem set #2.
  3. Click for answers to problem set #3.
  4. Click for answers to problem set #4.
  5. Click for answers to problem set #5.

Policies

Missed Exams

Unless there is a very compelling reason for doing so, missing the mid-term exam or the final will mean an automatic F in the course.

Incompletes

We strictly follow university policy on incompletes. This means that incompletes will only be considered when an emergency prevents you from attending the final exam.

Academic Honesty

While you may use a calculator on exams, any other use of computers, notes, books, or advice from others on exams is considered cheating and will be dealt with accordingly. See the university policy on Academic Misconduct for more details.

Important Dates

Jan. 9
Classes begin
Jan. 16
Martin Luther King Holiday (no class)
Jan. 17
Last day to drop with full refund
Feb. 3
Last day to drop with 25% refund
Feb. 3
Last day to apply for Spring Graduation
Mar. 2
Last day to drop with DR
Mar. 12-18
Spring Break (no class)
Apr. 21
Last day of regular classes
Apr. 26
Final at 9:45
Apr. 23-28
Finals Week
May 3
All grades available online