BMAT 13A01 - Math Applied to Social Sciences - Introductory level

A 12-session mathematics course with three levels (introductory, intermediate, advanced) Taught over 12 sessions, this course aims at providing students with the mathematical foundations needed to support notions taught in the first-year introduction to economics course, and more generally, quantitative methods in social sciences. This course places emphasis on practice, with progressive exercises and case studies, so that students can gain autonomy quickly with the taught themes.

Laurent PEGLIASCO

Séminaire

English

Autumn 2021-2022

Continuous examination and in-class final exam (session 12).

Sessions 1 and 2: Basic operations Multiplication, division, mental arithmetic, order of magnitude Fractions, indices, rates, percentages Development, factorization, sum and product indices Order of magnitude, relative and absolute values, exact and approached values The concept of variable/parameter/constant Sessions 3, 4 and 5: Functions Rate of increase / slope, tangent Graphic representation, relative positions of two curves, curve displacement Derivative of polynomial, product, quotient and composite functions, and study of variations Sessions 6 and 7: Basic functions Basic functions (absolute value, linear/non-linear, inverse, power, exponential, logarithm, etc.): characteristics and graphic representations Computation of simple areas (triangle, trapezoid, etc.) Sessions 8 and 9: Equations and inequalities Linear equations with 1/2 variables Inequalities Sessions 10, 11: Constrained optimization Second order derivative, convexity, concavity Partial derivatives Returns to scale, logarithmic derivative, elasticities Constrained and unconstrained Optimization: with one variable, or multiple variables (only looking for critical points) Session 12: Final exam