• Class Number 7548
  • Term Code 3160
  • Class Info
  • Unit Value 6 units
  • Mode of Delivery In Person
  • COURSE CONVENER
    • Dr Damien Eldridge
  • Class Dates
  • Class Start Date 26/07/2021
  • Class End Date 29/10/2021
  • Census Date 14/09/2021
  • Last Date to Enrol 02/08/2021
SELT Survey Results

The course teaches the mathematical foundations of models in economics, business and finance and its applications. Mathematical topics covered include set theory, functions, series, limits, univariate and multivariate calculus, unconstrained and constrained optimisation, matrix algebra. Applications include effective interest rates, present value, annuities, production functions, average and marginal cost functions, profit maximisation.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

  1. Have a sound knowledge of mathematical techniques discussed
  2. Formulate economic problems in mathematical terms and apply the tools provided in the module for analysing them.
  3. Demonstrate solid knowledge of many of the common functional forms used in economics and their derivatives
  4. Apply matrix algebra to simple economic problems and models
  5. Make use of some basic principles of financial arithmetic in economic and financial problems

Research-Led Teaching

The material taught in this course is directly relevant to research in most, if not all, areas of economics.

Field Trips

Not applicable.

Additional Course Costs

Not applicable.

Examination Material or equipment

Due to restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be no "in person" examinations held by ANU in Semester One of 2020. As such, the exam for this course will take the form of a "take home" exam. Given this, there will be no restrictions imposed on the materials that may be used during the exam.

Required Resources

The recommended textbook for this course is:

  • Sydsaeter, K, P Hammond, A Strom, and A Carvajal (2016), Essential mathematics for economic analysis (fifth edition), Pearson Education, United Kingdom.


You are not required to purchase a copy of this textbook if you do not wish to do so. However, I strongly recommend that you have access to it during the semester. The ANU library has a digital version of this book and a number of physical copies of the book. I will request that all physical copies of this edition of this book that are available in the ANU library system be placed on short loan for the duration of this course. (Note that the edition of this book that you consult is probably not particularly important, with the possible exception of the organisation of material within the book, and differences in the relevant chapter titles or chapter numbers, or both. The references in this outline will be to the relevant chapters in the fifth edition of this textbook.)

Other books that you might find useful include the following:

  • Asano, A (2013), An introduction to mathematics for economics, Cambridge University Press, Great Britain;
  • Bradley, T (2013), Essential mathematics for economics and business (fourth edition), John Wiley and Sons, Great Britain;
  • Chiang, AC, and K Wainwright (2005), Fundamental methods of mathematical economics (fourth edition), McGraw-Hill, Singapore.
  • Haeussler, EF Jr, and RS Paul (1987), Introductory mathematical analysis for business, economics, and the life and social sciences (fifth edition), Prentice-Hall International Edition, Prentice-Hall, USA;
  • Shannon, J (1995), Mathematics for business, economics and finance, John Wiley and Sons, Brisbane;
  • Simon, CP, and L Blume (1994), Mathematics for economists, WW Norton and Company, USA.
  • Sydsaeter, K, P Hammond, A Seierstad, and A Strom (2005), Further mathematics for economic analysis, Prentice-Hall / Financial Times (Pearson), United Kingdom.


The ANU library will be requested to look into the possibility of obtaining a digital version of these items, if the ANU library does not already have such a version and if such a version exists. I will request that all physical copies of these editions of these items that are available in the ANU library system be placed on short loan for the duration of this course. (Note that, when multiple editions of one of these books exists, it probably does not matter which edition you consult.)


Books relevant to this class can be found in both the Chifley Library (which houses most of the ANU Library’s economics collection) and the Hancock Library (which houses some of the ANU Library’s economics collection and most of the ANU Library’s mathematics collection). I strongly encourage you to familiarise yourself with, and make use of the resources contained in, both of these branches of the ANU Library.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

  • Graded tutorial assignments;
  • Mid-semester exam marks, and
  • Verbal feedback upon request during consultation sessions.

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Other Information

Work-Load Expectations

The amount of work required for successful completion of this class may vary between students. As a rough guide, students should expect to devote at least 10 hours a week to this class. This should include all of the following.

  • 3 hours a week: lectures. (These begin in week 1.)
  • 1 hour a week: tutorials. (These begin in week 2.)
  • 1 hour a week: workshops. (These begin in week 2.)
  • At least 5 hours a week: reading, research, writing, lecture preparation, tutorial preparation, workshop preparation, and review of material.


Lectures

Lectures in this course will not be "live" events. Instead, recordings of lectures will be posted to the ECHO360 site for this course. This ECHO360 site will be accessible via a link from the Wattle site for this course.


Tutorials

Beginning in week two, there will be a weekly tutorial held in this course. Tutorials in this course will be "live" events that are held online using "Zoom". Please note that the tutorials will not be recorded. A Zoom meeting link for each tutorial slot will be available on the Wattle site for this course.


Workshop

Beginning in week two, a weekly workshop will be held in this course during the Monday afternoon lecture slot (from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm), assuming that questions for discussion at that workshop have been submitted.

  • This workshop will a "live" (or real-time) activity that is held over Zoom. A Zoom meeting link for the workshop will be available on the Wattle site for this course.
  • Please note that the workshops will not be recorded.
  • At this workshop, we will go over questions that have been submitted by students before 5:00 pm on Thursday in the preceding teaching week. A Turnitin link at which questions can be submitted for the appropriate week will be available on the Wattle site for this course.
  • If more questions are submitted for a particular workshop than can be covered in the workshop time slot, then I will cover a selection of the questions that have been submitted.
  • If no questions are submitted for a particular workshop, then that workshop will not be held.

Class Schedule

Week/Session Summary of Activities Assessment
1 Sets, Numbers, Coordinates, and Distances. (Week 1.) Assessment: No assessment items in week 1. Reading: Sydsaeter et al; (2016): Chapters 1 and 2; Asano (2013): Chapters 1 and 2; Bradley (2013): Chapter 1; Haeussler and Paul (1987): Chapter 0; Shannon 1995: Chapter 1.
2 Mappings, Functions, and Correspondences. (Week 2.) Assessment: No assessment items in week 2. Reading: Sydsaeter et al; (2016): Chapters 4, 5, 11.1, 11.4, and 11.5; Asano (2013): Chapters 1 and 2; Bradley (2013): Chapters 2 and 4; Haeussler and Paul (1987): Chapters 3, 4, 5, and 17.1; Shannon 1995: Chapters 2 and 6.
3 Binary Relations, Equations, and Inequalities. (Week 3.) Assessment: Tutorial Assignment 1 Due. Reading: Sydsaeter et al; (2016): Chapters 2 and 3; Asano (2013): Chapters 1 and 2; Bradley (2013): Chapter 1; Haeussler and Paul (1987): Chapters 1 and 2; Shannon 1995: Chapters 1, 2, and 6.
4 Sequences, Series, and Limits. (Week 4.) Assessment: No assessment items in week 4. Reading: Sydsaeter et al; (2016): Chapters 2.8, 2.9, 2.10, 2.11, 6.5, 7.9, 7.11, and 10; Asano (2013): Chapter 3; Bradley (2013): Chapters 5 and 6.1; Haeussler and Paul (1987): Chapters 6 and 10; Shannon 1995: Chapters 1.6, 6.6, and 7.
5 Univariate Differential Calculus. (Week 5.) Assessment: Tutorial Assignment 2 Due. Reading: Sydsaeter et al; (2016): Chapters 6, 7, and 8; Asano (2013): Chapters 4 and 5; Bradley (2013): Chapter 6; Haeussler and Paul (1987): Chapters 10, 11, 12, and 13; Shannon 1995: Chapter 8.
6 Mid-Semester Exam. (Replacing the Three-Hours of Lectures.) (Week 6.) Assessment: Mid-Semester Exam.
7 Review of the Mid-Semester Exam. (Part of Week 7.) Assessment: Tutorial Assignment 3 Due.
8 Linear Algebra. (Part of Week 7 and Week 8.) Assessment: No assessment items in week 8. Reading: Sydsaeter et al; (2016): Chapters 15 and 16; Asano (2013): Appendix A; Bradley (2013): Chapters 3 and 9; Haeussler and Paul (1987): Chapter 8; Shannon 1995: Chapter 2, 3, 4, and 5.
9 Multivariate Differential Calculus Part 1. (Week 9.) Assessment: Tutorial Assignment 4 Due. Reading: Sydsaeter et al; (2016): Chapters 11, 12, and 13; Asano (2013): Chapter 6; Bradley (2013): Chapter 7; Haeussler and Paul (1987): Chapter 17; Shannon 1995: Chapter 10.
10 Multivariate Differential Calculus Part 2. (Week 10.) Assessment: No assessment items in week 10. Reading: See the reading for this topic in week 9.
11 Optimisation. (Week 11.) Assessment: Tutorial Assignment 5 Due. Reading: Sydsaeter et al; (2016): Chapters 8, 13, and 14; Asano (2013): Chapters 4.7, 6.6, 6.7, 6.8, 6.9, and 6.10, and Appendix A.3; Bradley (2013): Chapters 6.3, 6.4, 7.3, and 7.4; Haeussler and Paul (1987): Chapters 12, 13, 17.7, 17.8, 17.9, and 17.10; Shannon 1995: Chapter 8.6, 8.7, 10.4, 10.5, 10.6, and 10.7.
12 Univariate Integral Calculus. (Week 12.) Assessment: No assessment items in week 12. Reading: Sydsaeter et al; (2016): Chapter 9; Asano (2013): Chapter 7; Bradley (2013): Chapter 8; Haeussler and Paul (1987): Chapters 14 and 15; Shannon 1995: Chapter 9.
13 Final Exam Period. Assessment: Final Exam.

Tutorial Registration

Tutorials this semester will be delivered both remotely (via Zoom) and on-campus. They will be held in each teaching week from Week 2 to Week 12 inclusive. (There is no tutorial in Week 1.) You must enrol in a tutorial using the Wattle site for this course, and attend the tutorial in which you are enrolled. A selection of tutorials will be open for enrolment prior to the beginning of the semester - the remaining tutorials will be open in week 1 of Semester. Tutorial enrolment will take place via the Wattle site for this course. When tutorials are available for enrolment, please undertake the following steps.

1. Log on to Wattle, and go to the course site. 

2. Click on the link “Tutorial enrolment”. 

3. On the right of the screen, click on the tab “Become Member of…..” for the tutorial class you wish to enter.

4. Confirm your choice. 

If you need to change your enrolment, you will be able to do so by clicking on the tab “Leave group….” and then re-enrol in another group.?You will not be able to enrol in groups that have reached their maximum number.?Please note that enrolment in ISIS must be finalised for you to have access to Wattle.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task Value Due Date Return of assessment Learning Outcomes
Fortnightly Tutorial Assignments. 20 % 09/08/2021 16/08/2021 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Mid-Semester Exam. 20 % 30/08/2021 24/09/2021 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Final Exam. 60 % 04/11/2021 02/12/2021 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Integrity . In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

You will not be assessed on either attendance or participation in this course. Nonetheless, both attendance and active participation might well enhance your enjoyment of the course and your understanding of the material covered in the course.

Examination(s)

Please see the information for assessment item 2 and assessment item 3 above.

Assessment Task 1

Value: 20 %
Due Date: 09/08/2021
Return of Assessment: 16/08/2021
Learning Outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Fortnightly Tutorial Assignments.

  • You are requested to submit answers to all of the "tutorial questions" (but not any "additional practice questions") that are assigned for teaching week 3 (tutorial 2), teaching week 5 (tutorial 4), teaching week 7 (tutorial 6), teaching week 9 (tutorial 8), and teaching week 11 (tutorial 10).
  • Each of these assignments should be submitted online through the "Turnitin" link on the Wattle site for this class. A scanned copy of your handwritten assignment is fine. You are not required to type up your answers. However, in order for your assignment to be marked, it must be legible to the grader. If it is not legible, then a mark of zero will be awarded.
  • Each assignment should be submitted by 8:00 am on the Monday at the beginning of the week in which the relevant tutorials are held (that, in teaching weeks 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11), unless that Monday is a public holiday. If the Monday is a public holiday, then the assignment should be submitted by 8:00 am on the first regular business day thereafter.
  • If you have trouble submitting your assignment through the turnitin link, then please email a copy of that assignment to the course email address (EMET7001@anu.edu.au). Any such email must be received no later than 08:00:00 am on the day that the assignment is due in order for your assignment to be marked.
  • You will typically receive the questions for each assignment at least half a week before it is due.
  • No late submissions will be accepted. Any assignments that are not submitted by the due date and time will receive a mark of zero.
  • In each of these assignments, one question will be chosen for assessment and your mark for that assignment will be based on your response to that question. The identity of the selected question will only be revealed upon release of the marked assignments.
  • Your four highest scoring tutorial assignments will be used to calculate your total mark for this assessment component. Each of those four tutorial assignments will potentially be worth 5 % of your overall mark for this course. This means that this assessment component is potentially worth 20 % of your mark for this course.
  • Note that this assessment component is redeemable against the final exam. This means that it will only count if you receive a higher percentage mark for this assessment component than you do for the final exam. This will be calculated automatically. No action is required on your part.
  • We will endeavor to release comments and marks for these assignments via "Turnitin" by 5:00 pm on Mondays in Teaching Weeks 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 (that is, in the week after they are submitted).
  • All learning outcomes are relevant for this assessment task.

Assessment Task 2

Value: 20 %
Due Date: 30/08/2021
Return of Assessment: 24/09/2021
Learning Outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Mid-Semester Exam.

  • Given the restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the mid-semester exam will take the form of a "take home" exam that is implemented through the Wattle site for the course. This would involve a three hour exam period, with a "suggested" or "indicative" allocation of that time involving fifteen minutes of reading time, two hours of writing time, and forty-five minutes for scanning, compilation, and submission. There will be no restriction on permitted materials for this "take home" exam.
  • The exam will be be based on material that is covered in the lectures and reading up to the end of week 4 and the tutorials up to the end of week 5. Questions can potentially be drawn from any component of this material. This includes any material that is covered in lectures, or covered in tutorials (including both tutorial questions and additional practice questions), or covered in assigned readings, or covered in some combination of these sources.
  • The date and time of the mid-semester exam will be determined by the central administration of the ANU. It will be announced after it has been determined.
  • The mid-semester exam is potentially worth 20 % of your mark for this course.
  • Note that this assessment component is redeemable against the mid-semester exam. This means that it will only count if you receive a higher percentage mark for this assessment component than you do for the final exam. This will be calculated automatically. No action is required on your part.
  • If you sit the exam in week 6, we will endeavour to provide your mark for the mid-semester exam to you by the end of week 7. It is also anticipated that we will go through the mid-semester exam in class during week 7. Please note, however, that this is contingent on there being no outstanding deferred mid-semester exams that have not been held at that stage. In order to ensure fair treatment of all students, we will be unable to announce the mid-semester exam results or go through the mid-semester exam in class until all of the deferred mid-semester exams, if there are any such exams, have been held.
  • Please note that, where possible, deferred mid-semester exams will be held at some point during week 7.

Assessment Task 3

Value: 60 %
Due Date: 04/11/2021
Return of Assessment: 02/12/2021
Learning Outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Final Exam.

  • Given the restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the final exam will take the form of a "take home" exam that is implemented through the Wattle site for the course. This would involve a four hour exam period, with a "suggested" or "indicative" allocation of that time involving fifteen minutes of reading time, three hours of writing time, and forty-five minutes for scanning, compilation, and submission. There will be no restriction on permitted materials for this "take home" exam.
  • The exam will be comprehensive, in the sense that questions can potentially be drawn from any component of this class. This includes any material that is covered in lectures, or covered in tutorials (including both tutorial questions and additional practice questions), or covered in assigned readings, or covered in some combination of these sources.
  • The date and time of the final exam will be determined by the central administration of the ANU. It will occur sometime during the official final exam period.
  • The final exam is worth either 60 % or 80 % or 100 % of your overall mark for this class, depending on your relative performance in the tutorial assignments, the mid-semester exam, and the final exam.
  • You will be able to request a breakdown of your mark for the final exam by question (and by each part of each question) after the official release of results for the semester.
  • All learning outcomes are relevant for this assessment task.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically, committing to honest and responsible scholarly practice and upholding these values with respect and fairness.


The ANU commits to assisting all members of our community to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle and Academic Misconduct Rule, uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with.


The Academic Misconduct Rule is in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Very minor breaches of the academic integrity principle may result in a reduction of marks of up to 10% of the total marks available for the assessment. The ANU offers a number of online and in person services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. Visit the Academic Skills website for more information about academic integrity, your responsibilities and for assistance with your assignments, writing skills and study.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

No submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date and time will be permitted in this course. If an assessment task is not submitted by the due date and time, a mark of 0 will be awarded.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Returning Assignments

Please refer to the information on this that was provided above in the discussion of the various assessment tasks. 

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

No resubmission of any assignment after the due date and time for its submission will be permitted in this class.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

Dr Damien Eldridge
(02) 6125 1178
Damien.Eldridge@anu.edu.au

Research Interests


Microeconomic Theory, Applied Microeconomics, Mathematical Economics.

Dr Damien Eldridge

Monday 09:00 11:00

Responsible Officer: Registrar, Student Administration / Page Contact: Website Administrator / Frequently Asked Questions