Syllabus

Learning Objectives

By the end of Math for Economics I, a student should know the principal results of single and several variable calculus, including calculation of derivatives, partial derivatives of both explicit and implicit functions and solving optimization problems including optimization problems by substitution. A student should be able to apply calculus to different comparative static problems to find maxima and/or minima of functions of single or several variables.

Class Meetings

Lectures will meet twice a week for 75 minutes. There is a mandatory 75 minute recitation session. You must register for lecture and recitation separately.

Textbook and Materials

1) (eBook included with required WebAssign subscription) Essential Calculus: Early Transcendentals by James Stewart, 2nd edition.

2) (Recommended as a Reference) Essential Mathematics for Economic Analysis by Knut Sydsaeter and Peter Hammond, 5th edition (4th edition is okay, too).

Homework

There are two media for homework in Math for Economics I: "WebAssign" and "written homework".

WebAssign

There will be assignments administered through WebAssign (please see the WebAssign link to find out how to buy WebAssign). WebAssign problems are computational in nature and assess the mathematical techniques introduced in class. You will get immediate feedback on your progress and will get several chances to ensure it. WebAssign will be available directly through the course’s NYUClasses page. All WebAssign assignments are equally weighted.

In fairness to fellow students, WebAssign assignments will generally not be extended for individual students. Because sometimes things more important than math homework come up, your two lowest WebAssign scores will be dropped.

Written Homework

There will also be weekly written assignments to master the mathematical concepts and the link between these concepts and their applications to economics. These assignments will require more than just procedure, might connect two or more things together, and will more closely resemble the harder exam problems. Written homework assignments will be posted to the course's NYUClasses page. All written assignments are equally weighted.

Graders will grade the written homework promptly, and solutions will be discussed in recitation. Graders will be expecting you to express your ideas clearly, legibly, and completely, often requiring complete English sentences rather than merely just a long string of equations or unconnected mathematical expressions. This means you could lose points for unexplained answers.

One of the goals of this course is for you to learn how to think and communicate mathematically. This means that your homework problems should be written up with justification and explanations of your steps in English. See the examples in the textbook for examples of how to write up solutions to a problem well. Some exam problems will also ask for justifications, so this will be good practice. Each problem will specify its point value. Graders will grade each part according to the following rubric (e.g. if the problem was worth 5 points):

• 5/5: Work is completely accurate and essentially perfect. Work is thoroughly developed, neat, and easy to read. Complete sentences are used.
• 3/5: Work is good, but incompletely developed, hard to read, unexplained, or jumbled. Answers which are not explained, even if correct, will generally receive 2 points. Work contains “right idea” but is flawed.
• 2/5: Work is sketchy. There is some correct work, but most of work is incorrect.
• 1/5 or 0/5: Work minimal or non-existent. Solution is completely incorrect.

If you have a question about how a problem is scored, please check the rubric above to see which line best describes your work. If you are still unsure, contact your instructor. The instructor may confer with the grader about the score.

In fairness to fellow students and to graders, late homework will generally not be accepted. Because sometimes things more important than math homework come up, your single lowest written homework score will be dropped.

By all means, you may work in groups on the homework assignments. Collaboration is a big part of learning and of scholarship in general. However, each student must turn in his or her own write-up of the solutions.

If you need help outside of the classroom ULC provides tutors who can help you specifically with this class. Take advantage of this resourse and check their website: http://learning.cas.nyu.edu/page/home

Exams and Quizzes

During the semester there will be two midterm exams in class and one cumulative final exam. Our final exam is Wednesday, December 19, from 10:00 AM to 11:50 AM. Please note the date of the final and plan your travel accordingly.

Exams will contain a mixture of computational and conceptual problems. Some of them will resemble homework problems, while some will be brand new to you. The final exam is likely to be a mixture of multiple choice and free response problems.

Quizzes will also be given weekly during almost every recitation session. Your lowest quiz grade will be dropped.

We are only able to accommodate a limited number of out-of-sequence exams and quizzes due to limited availability of rooms and proctors. For this reason, we may approve out-of-sequence exams in the following cases:

1. A documented medical excuse.
2. A University sponsored event such as an athletic tournament, a play, or a musical performance. Athletic practices and rehearsals do not fall into this category. Please have your coach, conductor, or other faculty advisor contact your instructor.
3. A religious holiday.
4. Extreme hardship such as a family emergency.

Note: We will not be able to accommodate out-of-sequence exams, quizzes, and finals for purposes of more convenient travel, including already purchased tickets.

In cases where we cannot accommodate an out-of-sequence exam, the student's Final exam will carry the weight of the missed exam, if approved by the professor.

Scheduled out-of-sequence exams and quizzes (those not arising from emergencies) must generally be taken before the actual exam. Makeups must occur within one week of the regularly scheduled exam or quiz, otherwise a zero score will be given.

If you require additional accommodations as determined by the Center for Student Disabilities, please let your instructor know as soon as possible.

Grades

Your course score will be determined as the following weighted average:

• Midterm Exam 1: 20%
• Midterm Exam 2: 20%
• Final Exam: 30%
• Written Homeworks: 10%
• WebAssign assignments: 8%
• Clicker Participation: 2%
• Quizzes: 10%

We will convert this score to a letter grade beginning with the values below as cutoffs. These cutoffs might be adjusted at the end of the semester (the so-called "curve"), but only in the downward direction (to make letter grades higher).

• 93% A
• 90% A-
• 87% B+
• 83% B
• 80% B-
• 75% C+
• 65% C
• 50% D

Calculators

A graphing calculator is encouraged for class discussion and on homework, but not allowed for exams or quizzes. No specific calculator is endorsed, so do not buy a new one. If you have one already, continue to use that one; if you do not, try free alternatives such as Wolfram Alpha.

Course Policy

There will be no accommodation for missed homework, quizzes, and exams, except in the cases of illness and observance of religious holidays. In the case of observance of religious holidays, you must make arrangements to make up missed work at least one week in advance. In the case of illness, you must present a detailed letter from a physician/health care provider. Students with disabilities can make arrangements at the Moses Center.

Academic Integrity

We value integrity and do not tolerate academic dishonesty. You are expected to uphold academic integrity as specified by the university and the College of Arts and Sciences http://cas.nyu.edu/page/academicintegrity.