MA Math Camp 2022

Welcome! This page hosts the course material of the August 2022 Math Camp for Columbia’s Economics Masters program.

Table of Contents

• Course Information
• Course Description
• Course Material
  • Outline and Lecture Notes
  • Problem Sets
  • References and Textbooks
  • Past Exams and Problem Sets

Course Information

• Instructor : Andrea Ciccarone
• Email : ac4790@columbia.edu

• Graders : TBA

• Dates : Monday Aug. 15 - Thur Sep. 1
• Time : 9:30am-12:00pm
• Place : Hamilton 517 (See a Map of Campus Here) and on Zoom (link and recordings will be shared by email)
• Office Hours : TBA

Course Description

The course will cover the mathematical tools and concepts required for the first year sequence of the Master’s in Economics. The main goal of the course is to prepare for first year classes by reviewing or introducing fundamental concepts in various domains of mathematics – analysis, linear algebra, calculus, optimization. A strong emphasis will be put on proof-writing skills and proper mathematical rigor, as well as problem-solving and application of the tools. Students are expected to have taken courses in elementary analysis and unidimensional calculus, as well as have some familiarity with concepts in probability and linear algebra.

The class will be taught in a hybrid format from Monday August 15th to Thursday September 1nd. Lectures will be held in person (Hamilton 517) every weekday from 9.30am to 12pm EST ; they will simultaneously be available on Zoom as well as recorded for asynchroneous attendance. If possible, students are strongly encouraged to attend the lectures in real time.

The course is largely self-contained. Lecture notes will be posted on the website ; teaching itself will mostly take place on the blackboard but additional notes or slides might be provided. Some additional notes and textbook references are provided below.

Problem sets will be assigned weekly. They are important practice and will be graded for feedback, although no grade will be given for the class. Problem sets will have to be submitted online (modalities to be specified) and will have to be typed – LaTeX is very strongly encouraged as it is an extremely valuable skill that students should acquire as soon as possible. There will be a final exam – the date and modality of the exam will be announced later.