I will teach the course in the 2025/26 academic year.
- The lectures will be in-person. The syllabus, slides and Python codes will be posted on Brightspace.
Announcements
- The syllabus was posted (see link below).
- The problem sets (see the links below) have to be submitted on Brightspace as a pdf file, with a cover page, and the file name has to follow this template: 501_PS_Surname_Name_StudentNumber.pdf
- In the BEC 180 computer room, in MATLAB use the following syntax to access the dynare routines: addpath 'C:\Program Files\dynare\matlab'
- In the BEC 180 computer room, only the lab administrators can save files in the C: directory. Save the .mod files in a folder created on your desktop.
- The labs are going to start on Wednesday the 20th of January. In the meantime, please read the Math refresher documents.
- Here you can find and download Dynare: http://www.dynare.org/
- Here you can find and download Octave (use version 5.2.0 with Dynare 4.6.x): http://www.gnu.org/software/octave/support.html
- Install and use Dynare 4.6.3, as with versions 4.6.1 and 4.6.2 even simple codes are prompting some error messages when running in Octave 5.2.0. In MATLAB, all codes are running without any issues.
- The following webpage explains how to get Matlab at UVIC: https://www.mathworks.com/academia/tah-portal/university-of-victoria-31110150.html
- The TA for the course is Nicholas Liang.
- Email: nliang [@] uvic.ca
- Labs Time (via Zoom): Wednesday 11.30am-12.20pm (starting on Jan 20th).
- TA Office Hours (via Zoom): Wednesday; 12:30pm-2:00pm.
- Class Times (via Zoom): Monday 10.00am-11.15am, Thursday 10.00am-11.15am.
- Instructor's Office Hours (via Zoom): Thursday 2:30pm-4:00pm.
- In order to comply with Copyright rules at UVic, the lecture notes will be password protected. Each student enrolled in the course will be given a password for the zip files.
- If you are having problems unzipping the files, please use this free software (you have to select the right platform for your Operating System: Windows, BSD, Mac, or Linux): RARLAB
- ECON 501 - Syllabus (updated 9th Jan 2021).
Slides and Materials used in class
Theory
- INTRODUCTION
- MATH REFRESHER (LINEAR ALGEBRA, DIFFERENCE EQUATIONS, OPTIMIZATION)
- SOLOW GROWTH MODEL
- OLG GROWTH MODEL
- RAMSEY GROWTH MODEL - SOCIAL PLANNER EQUILIBRIUM
- RAMSEY GROWTH MODEL - DECENTRALIZED EQUILIBRIUM
- MODELS Vs. DATA
- TIME SERIES ANALYSIS
- SOLVING QUANTITATIVE MACRO MODELS - DYNARE
- WELFARE COSTS OF FLUCTUATIONS
- RAMSEY GROWTH MODEL - LABOR SUPPLY
- RAMSEY GROWTH MODEL - TAXES AND GOVERNMENT
- RBC MODELS - CALIBRATION
- RBC MODELS - LINEARIZATION
- EQUITY PREMIUM PUZZLE
Applications and additional materials
- A PRIMER ON STATA - STATA DATASET – STATA DO-FILE – STATA LOG FILE
- Practicing Dynare (Worked out examples with codes) (You are going to cover some of these in the labs; you may want to work a bit with the examples in sections 3 and 7; note that estimation will NOT be part of the final exam)
- RBC Model with two shocks - TFP & Discount Factor - in levels (We'll use this Dynare code in a lecture)
- Reading Material: Dynamic Programming (We will NOT cover it in the lectures, and it will NOT be part of the final exam)
Assignments
- ASSIGNMENT COVER PAGE
- PROBLEM SET 1 Dataset and papers (See Brightspace)
- PROBLEM SET 2 (See Brightspace)
- PROBLEM SET 3 (See Brightspace)
Past exams
- TAKE HOME EXAM 2019-20 - Dynare file for Q.2
- TAKE HOME EXAM 2018-19 - Dynare file for Q.2
- TAKE HOME EXAM 2017-18 - Dynare file for Q.2
- TAKE HOME EXAM 2016-17 - Dynare file for Q.2
- TAKE HOME EXAM 2015-16 - Dynare file for Q.2