Economics 701: Advanced microeconomic theory, spring 2012


Instructor: Jeremy A. Sandford

Office hour: T 3-4pm 335L B&E, or by appointment
Lecture: 1pm-1:50pm MWF, BE 214

Midterm dates: Friday, February 17, 1-4pm, Friday, March 30, 1-4pm
Final date: Monday, April 30, 8am-10am

Required text: Mas-Colell, Whinston, and Green, Microeconomic Theory, Oxford University Press

syllabus

Last year's website

Homework 1, answers
Homework 2, answers
Homework 3, due 2/29/2012


Schedule


Wednesday, January 11: Game theory in context
readings: Mas-Colell, chapter 7

Friday, January 13: Describing normal and extensive form games, mixed strategies
readings: Mas-Colell, chapter 7

Monday, January 16: No class (MLK Day)
readings: Mas-Colell, chapter 7

Wednesday, January 18: Describing extensive form games. Mixed and behavior strategies.
readings: Mas-Colell, chapter 7

Friday, January 20: Mixed and behavior strategies, reduced normal form games
readings: Mas-Colell, chapters 7-8

Monday, January 23: Solving normal form games: dominant and dominated strategies
readings: Mas-Colell, chapter 8

Wednesday, January 25: Solving normal form games: iterated removal of dominated strategies, rationalizability
(weakly) dominant strategies in action
readings: Mas-Colell, chapter 8

Friday, January 27: Solving normal form games: rationalizability, using simplices in 3x3 games
readings: Mas-Colell, chapters 8

Monday, January 30: Solving normal form games: Nash equilibrium
readings: Mas-Colell, chapter 8

Wednesday, February 2: Nash equilibrium, interpretations of Nash equilibrium
readings: Mas-Colell, chapter 8

Friday, February 4: interpreting Nash equilibrium, trembling hand refinement
readings: Mas-Colell, chapter 8

Monday, February 6: no class

Wednesday, February 8: subgame perfect refinement, backward induction
reading: Mas-Colell, chapter 9

Friday, February 10: subgame perfect refinement, backward induction
reading: Mas-Colell, chapter 9

Monday, February 13: subgame perfect refinement, backward induction (Rubinstein bargaining model, chapter 9 appendix)
reading: Mas-Colell, chapter 9

Wednesday, February 15: subgame perfect refinement, backward induction
reading: Mas-Colell, chapter 9

Friday, February 17: Midterm 1, answers

Monday, February 20: Perfect Bayesian refinement
reading: Mas-Colell, chapter 9

Wednesday, February 22: Perfect Bayesian refinement
reading: Mas-Colell, chapter 9

Friday, February 24: Perfect Bayesian refinement, sequential equilibrium
reading: Mas-Colell, chapter 9

Monday, February 27: repeated games
reading: Mas-Colell, chapter 12.D, 12.AA

Wednesday, February 29: repeated games
reading: Mas-Colell, chapter 12.D, 12.AA