Professor Yaw Nyarko Microeconomic Theory I

New York University Class: Tues 4:15-6:15 (G31.1023)

269 Mercer St. Rm 711B 3th Flr Conference Rm, 269 Mercer st.

(212)-998-8928 Lab: Thurs 2:10 - 4:10, 3rd Flr Conference Rm

e-mail: yaw.nyarko@nyu.edu

Office Hrs: Thursday 3:30 - 4:30PM

Class Textbooks are:

1. "Microeconomic Theory," by Andreu Mas-Collel, Micheal Whinston and Jerry Green,

Oxford University Press, New York.

2. "Microeconomic Analysis" by Hal R. Varian (W. W. Norton and Co., New York).

You may find the following texts also useful:

3. "Advanced Microeconomic Theory," by Geoffrey Jehle and P. Reny, Addison Wesley.

4. "A Course in Micro-Economic Theory" by David Kreps (Princeton University Press).

5. "Micro-economic Theory," by Henderson and Quandt (McGraw Hill).

Course Outline:

i. CONSUMER THEORY. Preferences, utility functions, Demand functions (Varian chpt. 3).

ii. THEORY OF THE FIRM. Technology, profit maximization and cost minimization; input demands; long and short run. (Varian Chpt. 1).

iii. Decision making under uncertainty: Expected utility, risk aversion, stochastic dominance, insurance contracts.

iv. Intertemporal Economics, optimal search theory.

v. Other special topics. (The principal-agent problem, etc).

Course grade will be determined by

a) one mid-term exam on ??????? during the regular class (or lab) meeting.

b) one final exam (during the university examination week) and

c) problem sets.

Class T.A. for class is D. Glen Whitman.