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Course profile

Tools of Economic Analysis (ECON1050)

Study period
Sem 2 2024
Location
St Lucia
Attendance mode
In Person

Course overview

Study period
Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
Study level
Undergraduate
Location
St Lucia
Attendance mode
In Person
Units
2
Administrative campus
St Lucia
Coordinating unit
Economics School

This course provides essential mathematical tools for studying Economics. It includes functions of one variable, differentiation, integrals, optimisation, and matrix algebra.

This course introduces students to relevantᅠmathematical methods and their applicationᅠin economics. A goodᅠunderstanding of these methods is crucial for studentsᅠto comprehendᅠimportant concepts in the second and third-yearᅠcore economics courses and other selected areas inᅠeconomics. Thus, it is highly recommended that this course be taken beforeᅠenrolling inᅠtheᅠsecond year micro and macro courses.ᅠThe course is also a requirement for ᅠstudents in the Bachelor ofᅠEconomics program.ᅠ

Course requirements

Assumed background

Students are expected to be familiar with algebra, calculus, and coordinate geometry from high school Maths B or the UQ course MATH1040.

Prerequisites

You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:

(Maths B or Mathematical Methods (Units 3 & 4, C) or equivalent) or MATH1040

Recommended companion or co-requisite courses

We recommend completing the following courses at the same time:

ECON1020

Incompatible

You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:

MATH1050, MATH1051, MATH1071

Course contact

School enquiries

Student Enquiries, School of Economics

All enquiries regarding student and academic administration (i.e. non-course content information, e.g., class allocation, timetables, extension to assessment due date, etc.) should be directed to enquiries@economics.uq.edu.au.

Enquiries relating specifically to course content should be directed to ECON1050@uq.edu.au .

Course staff

Lecturer

Professor Claudio Mezzetti

Tutor

Mr Manraj Birk
Mr Jaris Kassim

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Additional timetable information

Tutorial Preferencing: Please refer to My Timetable (available via your my.UQ dashboard) for more information on the tutorial preferencing and allocation process. Tutorials commence in Teaching Week 2.

The timetable is published through the UQ Public Timetable found in the APPs section of myUQ.ᅠStudents should refer to the timetable prior to the commencement of classes to ensure that they have the most up to date information, as from time to time late room changes may occur.ᅠ

Students who miss a tutorial due to a public holiday are invited to attend another tutorial that week.

Important dates:

  • Public Holidays: Wed 14 August (Royal Queensland Show), Mon 7 October (King's Birthday).
  • Mid-Semester Break: 23 - 29 September. Semester 2 classes recommence Mon 30 September.

Aims and outcomes

The aim of the courseᅠis to apply various mathematical techniques to analyse economic models. The mathematical techniques include simultaneous equations,ᅠmatrix algebra, differential & integral calculus.

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

LO1.

Confidently use mathematical notation to represent economic problems.

LO2.

Represent and solve simple economic models graphically and algebraically.

LO3.

Use differential calculus, including partial derivatives and differentials, across a range of economic problems.

LO4.

Apply methods of unconstrained and constrained optimization to simple economic problems.

LO5.

Apply integration to simple functions and economic concepts such as consumer surplus and producer surplus.

LO6.

Recognise basic matrix and vector notation and carry out basic matrix operations.

Assessment

Assessment summary

Category Assessment task Weight Due date
Quiz Online Quiz
  • Online
40% (8% x 5 online quizzes)

Online Quiz 1 (based on lectures 1 & 2) 12/08/2024 - 16/08/2024

Online Quiz 2 (based on lectures 3 & 4) 2/09/2024 - 6/09/2024

Online Quiz 3 (based on lectures 5 & 6) 16/09/2024 - 20/09/2024

Online Quiz 4 (based on lectures 7 & 8) 8/10/2024 - 11/10/2024

Online Quiz 5 (based on lectures 9,10, & 11) 21/10/2024 - 25/10/2024

Examination Final Exam
  • In-person
60%

End of Semester Exam Period

2/11/2024 - 16/11/2024

Assessment details

Online Quiz

  • Online
Mode
Written
Category
Quiz
Weight
40% (8% x 5 online quizzes)
Due date

Online Quiz 1 (based on lectures 1 & 2) 12/08/2024 - 16/08/2024

Online Quiz 2 (based on lectures 3 & 4) 2/09/2024 - 6/09/2024

Online Quiz 3 (based on lectures 5 & 6) 16/09/2024 - 20/09/2024

Online Quiz 4 (based on lectures 7 & 8) 8/10/2024 - 11/10/2024

Online Quiz 5 (based on lectures 9,10, & 11) 21/10/2024 - 25/10/2024

Learning outcomes
L01, L02

Task description

This assessment task evaluates student's abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (Al). Students are advised that the use of Al technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

Submission guidelines

Online Submission via Blackboard

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

Requests for the granting of extensions must be submitted through my.UQ: Applying for an extension - my.UQ - University of Queensland with supporting documentation before the submission due date/time. If an extension is approved, the new agreed date for submission will be noted on the application and the student notified through their student email. The online quizzes have a maximum extension of 3 days (including weekend days) to ensure timely feedback to other students.

Late submission

Where an extension has not been previously approved, a penalty of 100% will be applied to late or non-submission of any of the quiz assessments.

Final Exam

  • In-person
Mode
Written
Category
Examination
Weight
60%
Due date

End of Semester Exam Period

2/11/2024 - 16/11/2024

Learning outcomes
L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06

Task description

  • The ECON1050 Final Exam will be an invigilated in-person exam. 
  • The final exam will be held during the examination period. Important reminders and notices will be posted on Blackboard.
  • The exam is designed to cover all topics.
  • You will have a period of 2 hours to complete the exam. 
  • The exam will consist of short answer and problem solving questions.
  • The final examination timetable will be published on my.UQ under "Important Info" as soon as it becomes available.

You will be alerted to further information about the final exam via our course Blackboard site.

This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of Generative AI may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

Exam details

Planning time 10 minutes
Duration 120 minutes
Calculator options

(In person) Casio FX82 series only or UQ approved and labelled calculator

Open/closed book Closed Book examination - no written materials permitted
Exam platform Learn.UQ
Invigilation

Invigilated in person

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Grade Cut off Percent Description
1 (Low Fail) 0% - 29%

Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes.

2 (Fail) 30% - 46%

Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes.

3 (Marginal Fail) 47% - 49%

Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes

4 (Pass) 50% - 64%

Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes.

5 (Credit) 65% - 74%

Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes.

6 (Distinction) 75% - 84%

Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes.

7 (High Distinction) 85% - 100%

Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes.

Additional course grading information

A student's final overall end of semester percentage mark will be rounded to determine their final grade. For example, 64.5% rounds to 65%, while 64.4% rounds to 64%.

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Additional assessment information


Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

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Learning period Activity type Topic
Week 1

(22 Jul - 28 Jul)

Lecture

Lecture 1. Set Theory, Logic & Review of Algebra

Essentials of set theory and logic; Real numbers; exponents; algebra; inequalities and intervals.

Learning outcomes: L01

Tutorial

No Tutorials in Week 1

Week 2

(29 Jul - 04 Aug)

Lecture

Lecture 2. Summation, Solving Equations

Summation notation; Reviewing methods of solving equations

Learning outcomes: L01

Tutorial

Tutorial 1

Set theory, Logic & Review of Algebra

Learning outcomes: L01

Week 3

(05 Aug - 11 Aug)

Lecture

Lecture 3. Functions of One Variable

Linear functions; quadratic functions; polynomials; power, exponential and logarithmic functions; graphs of functions; inverse functions.

Learning outcomes: L01, L02

Tutorial

Tutorial 2

Summation, solving equations

Learning outcomes: L01

Week 4

(12 Aug - 18 Aug)

No student involvement (Breaks, information)

Public holiday: Royal QLD Show

No lectures, tutorials, and consultation sessions this week.

Week 5

(19 Aug - 25 Aug)

Lecture

Lecture 4. Calculus 1

Basic concepts; rules of differentiation.

Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03

Tutorial

Tutorial 3

Functions of one variable.

Learning outcomes: L01, L02

Week 6

(26 Aug - 01 Sep)

Lecture

Lecture 5. Calculus 2

Derivatives in Use - Implicit differentiation, linear and polynomial approximations, Taylor's Formula

Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05

Tutorial

Tutorial 4

Calculus 1

Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03

Week 7

(02 Sep - 08 Sep)

Lecture

Lecture 6. Calculus 3

Single variable optimisation; determination of extreme points; local extreme points.

Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04, L05

Tutorial

Tutorial 5

Calculus 2

Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03

Week 8

(09 Sep - 15 Sep)

Lecture

Lecture 7. Calculus 4

Partial derivatives and multivariate optimization

Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04, L05

Tutorial

Tutorial 6

Calculus 3

Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04, L05

Week 9

(16 Sep - 22 Sep)

Lecture

Lecture 8. Calculus 5

Lagrange Multiplier; Introduction to constrained optimization, applications.

Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04, L05

Tutorial

Tutorial 7

Calculus 4

Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04, L05

Mid Sem break

(23 Sep - 29 Sep)

No student involvement (Breaks, information)

Mid Semester Break

Week 10

(30 Sep - 06 Oct)

Lecture

Lecture 9. Calculus 6

Basic concepts of integration; indefinite and definite integrals; integration by parts; integration by substitution

Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04, L05

Tutorial

Tutorial 8

Calculus 5

Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04, L05

Week 11

(07 Oct - 13 Oct)

Lecture

Lecture 10: Matrix Algebra 1

Introduction to linear algebra: matrix notation, matrix and vector operations.

Learning outcomes: L01, L06

Tutorial

Tutorial 9

Calculus 6

Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04, L05

Week 12

(14 Oct - 20 Oct)

Lecture

Lecture 11. Matrix Algebra 2

Simultaneous equations, Gaussian elimination, determinants, minors and cofactors, Cramer's rule

Learning outcomes: L01, L06

Tutorial

Tutorial 10

Matrix Algebra 1

Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L06

Week 13

(21 Oct - 27 Oct)

Lecture

Lecture 12. Matrix Algebra 3

Solving simultaneous equations; adjoint method for finding an inverse; introducing the Leontief input-output model. Review of the course content

Learning outcomes: L01, L06

Tutorial

Tutorial 11

Matrix Algebra 2

Learning outcomes: L01, L06

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.