Asian University for Women Spring 2011

PPE-300

Course: Intermediate Microeconomics

Instructor: ANM Moinul Islam, Ph.D

Classes: Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays

Class Hours: 2:00-2:50 PM

Room Number : H 602

Office Hours: Sundays and Tuesdays : 3.00 – 5.00 PM

Or By Appointment

Email: moinul.islam@auw.edu.bd

Textbook : Intermediate Microeconomics: A Modern Approach by Hal R Varian

Pre-requisites: Principles of Microeconomics, Basic Calculus and Algebra

Course Description

This course is an advanced treatment of economics concepts that students have already been
exposed to in the Principles of Microeconomics course. Hence, the course is highly abstract and
fairly technical. The course starts with individual preference, and analyzes, together with prices,
how individual preferences determine individual demand and market demand. Then it analyzes
the behavior of individual firms such as Profit Maximization, Cost Minimization and supply of
goods and services. Finally, both demand side and supply side are considered under different
market structures such as Perfect Competition with a lot of buyers and sellers, Monopoly with a
single seller and a lot of buyers. It also deals with market structure such as Oligopoly with
interdependent strategic behavior of rival firms. Hence, game theory that focuses on strategic
behavior and helps analyze oligopolistic competition will also be introduced.
In addition, Basic General Equilibrium Theory will be discussed. Various cases of Market
failures such as Externalities, Public Goods etc. will be examined.

GRADING AND EVALUATION:

Midterm Exams 2 * 80 = 160

Final Exam 1 * 100 = 100
Homework 4 * 10 = 40
Quizzes 3*10 = 30
Attendance = 10
Total 340

Grades will be curved. Hence, the important thing is where you stand in the class.

(Explanation: If you get 98 or above, you will get an A+, no matter what your position in the
class is. Hence, If you get 94 or above, you will get an A, no matter what your position in the
class is. However, if the class does not do ‘very well’, you can get an A+ with 90 or even with
less…).

Letter Grade GPA Percentage

A+ 4.3 98-100

A 4.0 94-97

A- 3.7 90-93

B+ 3.3 87-89

B 3.0 84-86

B- 2.7 80-83

C+ 2.3 77-79

C 2.0 74-76

C- 1.7 70-73

D+ 1.3 67-69
 D 1.0 64-66

D- 0.7 60-63

F 0.0 Less than 60

Chapters

I. Overview
Chapter 2: Budget Constraint
Chapter 3: Preferences
Chapter 4: Utility
Chapter 5: Choice
Homework 1 due, Quiz 1
Chapter 6 (and parts of 8): Demand
Chapter 10: Intertemporal Choice
Midterm Exam #1
Chapter 14: Consumer’s Surplus
Chapter 15: Market Demand
Chapter 16: Equilibrium
Homework 2 due, Quiz 2
Chapter 18: Technology
Chapter 19: Profit Maximization
Chapter 20: Cost Minimization
Homework 3 due
Chapter 21: Cost Curves
Midterm Exam #2

Chapter 22: Firm Supply

Chapter 23: Industry Supply
Chapter 24: Monopoly
Quiz 3
Chapter 25: Monopoly Behavior
Chapter 27: Oligopoly
Chapter 28 & 29: Game Theory, & Game Application (Time Permitting)
Chapter 31: Exchange (Time Permitting)
Chapter 34: Externalities
Homework 4 due
Chapter 36: Public Goods (Time Permitting)

Final Exam

Tentative Schedule

Date/Day Wednesday
1 1.9.2011 Sunday Overview, Chapter 2
2 1.11.2011 Tuesday Ch2 Ch 3
3 1.13.2011 Thursday Ch3
4 1.16.2011 Sunday Ch3
5 1.18.2011 Tuesday AUW Ground Breaking
Ceremony
6 1.20.2011 Thursday Conference in Dhaka
7 1.23.2011 Sunday Conference in Dhaka
8 1.25.2011 Tuesday Ch 4
9 1.27.2011 Thursday Ch4
10 1.30.2011 Sunday Ch5
11 2.1.2011 Tuesday Ch5
12 2.3.2011 Thursday Ch 5
13 2.6.2011 Sunday Ch6, Homework 1 due,
Quiz1
14 2.8.2011 Tuesday Ch6
15 2.10.2011 Thursday Ch 6
16 2.13.2011 Sunday Ch 8
17 2.15.2011 Tuesday Eid-e-Miladunnabi
18 2.17.2011 Thursday Ch 10
19 2.20.2011 Sunday Ch 10
20 2.22.2011 Tuesday Midterm Exam 1
21 2.24.2011 Thursday Ch 14
22 2.27.2011 Sunday Ch 14
23 3.1.2011 Tuesday Ch 15
24 3.3.2011 Thursday Ch 15
25 3.6.2011 Sunday Ch 16
26 3.8.2011 Tuesday Ch 16, Homework 2 due,
Quiz 2
27 3.10.2011 Thursday Ch 18
28 3.13.2011 Sunday Ch 18
29 3.15.2011 Tuesday Ch 19
30 3.17.2011 Thursday Bangabandhu’s Birthday
31 3.202011 Sunday Spring Break
32 3.22.2011 Tuesday Spring Break
33 3.24.2011 Thursday Spring Break
34 3.27.2011 Sunday Ch 19
35 3.29.2011 Tuesday Ch 20
36 3.31.2011 Thursday Ch 20 Homework 3 due
37 4.3.2011 Sunday Ch 21
38 4.5.2011 Tuesday Midterm Exam 2
39 4.7.2011 Thursday Ch 22
40 4.10.2011 Sunday Ch 22
41 4.12.2011 Tuesday Ch 24
42 4.14.2011 Thursday Bengali New Year
43 4.17.2011 Sunday Ch 24, Quiz 3
44 4.19.2011 Tuesday Ch 27
45 4.21.2011 Thursday Ch 27
46 4.24.2011 Sunday Easter Sunday
47 4.26.2011 Tuesday Ch 28/ Ch 29
48 4.28.2011 Thursday Ch 34, Homework 4due
49 5.1.2011 Sunday Labor Day
50 Final