General Economics and Theory

This is a complete listing of all economics courses. Not all courses are offered each year.
Click here for a list of currenly offered courses.

14.102 Mathematics for Economists
Prereq: 18.01, 18.02, 18.06
Covers some topics in mathematics that are frequently used in economic theory and in applications. Topics include 1) optimization theory (including optimal control and recursive methods); 2) probability theory; 3) topology (continuity compactness); 4) dynamical systems (including stability); 5) convex analysis; 6) fixed point theory. Presentation of each topic self-contained.

14.121 Microeconomic Theory I
Prereq: 14.04 and permission of instructor
Consumer and producer theory. Markets and competition. General equilibrium. Tools of comparative statics and their application to price theory. Class size limited.

14.122 Microeconomic Theory II
Prereq: 14.121 and permission of instructor
Introduction to game theory. Normal form and extensive form games. Games with incomplete information. Class size limited.

14.123 Microeconomic Theory III
Prereq: 14.121, 14.122 and permission of instructor
Models of individual decision-making under certainty and uncertainty. Additional topics in game theory. Class size limited.

14.124 Microeconomic Theory IV
Prereq: 14.123 and permission of instructor
Decision-making under uncertainty, information economics, incentive and contract theory. Class size limited.

 

14.126 Game Theory
Prereq: 14.122
Rigorous investigation of the evolutionary and epistemic foundations of solution concepts, such as rationalizability and Nash equilibrium. Covers classical topics, such as repeated games, bargaining, and supermodular games as well as new topics such as global games, heterogeneous priors, psychological games, and games without expected utility maximization. Applications provided when available.

 

14.129 Contract Theory
Prereq: 14.121, 14.451
Recent developments in contract theory. Includes advanced models of moral hazard, adverse selection, mechanism design and incomplete contracts with applications to theory of the firm, organizational design, and financial structure.

14.147 Topics in Game Theory (Revised Units)
Prereq: 14.126
Advanced subjects on topics of current research interest.

14.191 Independent Research Paper
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Can be repeated for credit. Under supervision of a faculty member approved by Graduate Registration Officer, student writes a substantial, probably publishable, research paper. Must be completed by the end of the student�s second year to satisfy the departmental minor requirement.

 

14.193, 14.194 Seminar: Topics in Economics
Prereq: 14.121, 14.451
Reading and discussion of special topics in economics. Open to advanced graduate students by arrangement with individual members of the staff.
Consult Department Headquarters

14.195, 14.196 Reading Seminar in Economics
Prereq: 14.121
Can be repeated for credit.
Reading and discussion of special topics in economics. Open to advanced graduate students by arrangement with individual members of the staff.

14.198, 14.199 Teaching Introductory Economics
Prereq: -
Can be repeated for credit.
Required of teaching assistants in Introductory Economics (14.01 and 14.02), under supervision of the faculty member in charge of the subject.