ColumbiaUniversity

DepartmentofEconomics
PrinciplesofEconomics
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
W1105y1Spring2012 OfficeHours:1001CIAB
M/W9:1010:25 M:(1112);W:(23)
501SCH email:skg21
SunilK.Gulati tel:x44067
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Readings:TherequiredtextbookforthecourseisPrinciplesofEconomicsbyR.GlennHubbardandAnthonyOBrien(3ndEdition;
Prentice Hall Publishers, 2010). The study guide is recommended, though not required. All are available in the University
Bookstore and on reserve at Uris Library. You may also order an electronic version of the text (less expensive) from
www.coursesmart.com(apurchasecodeisavailableatthebookstorebutyoucanalsojustgodirectlytothesite).

Inaddition,aregularreadingoftheNewYorkTimesorTheEconomist(youcangetadiscountatwww.economistacademic.com
facultyID5618)wouldbehelpful.Atentativeoutlineofthereadingsrequiredforeachlectureisattached.Somechangesare
possibleduringthecourseofthesemester.Youshouldmakeeveryefforttoreview(atleastskim)thelistedchapter(s)priorto
the relevant lecture and reread the chapter after the lecture. You will need to purchase an i>clicker (personal response
system) as we will be using it throughout the course. The clickers are available in the bookstore. Register your i>clicker
throughthefollowinglick(http://www.iclicker.com/registration/).ForstudentID,pleaseuseyourUNI.Moreinformationonthe
clickerswillbeprovidedduringthefirstfewlectures.

LabSessions:Thelabsessionsareanintegralpartofthecourseandwillbeusedforreviewingdistributedproblemsetsaswellas
introducingtopicsnotcoveredinclass(orextendingtopicsthatarecoveredonlytangentiallyinthelectures).Thelabsessions
willbeverysimilar,soifyoumissyourregularlyscheduledsession,youshouldattendanothersessionduringthesameweek.
Thesesessions(outlinedintheschedulebelow)willbeconductedbyteachingassistants/preceptors.Youmustregister(inthe
normalway)foroneofthesesessions:

Section Day Time Room Instructor

1 Monday 11:0011:50 325Pupin LukeLi
2 Monday 6:107:00 318Hamilton MeipingSun
3 Tuesday 1:102:00 501BIAB AlejoCzerwonko
4 Tuesday 6:107:00 313Pupin SaviSundaresan
5 Wednesday 11:0011:50 325Pupin MatthewGladstong
6 Wednesday 5:106:00 414Pupin AlejoCzerwonko
7 Thursday 12:0012:50 412Pupin SaviSundaresan
8 Thursday 7:108:00 511Hamilton MeipingSun
9 Friday 11:0011:50 902IAB YuxioHuang

TeachingAssistants:Officehoursandcontactinformationfortheteachingassistantsareasfollows:

Instructor email Day/Time Room

LukeLi Ll2585 W:56 1006AIAB
YuxiaoHuang Yh2419 F:1011 1006AIAB
MatthewGladstone Mjg2183 M:1112 1006AIAB
SavitarSundaresan Svs2102 W:45;F:34 1006AIAB
AlejoCzerwonko Aec2156 W:12:301:30;W:67 LehmanLib.GroupStudyArea
MeipingSun Ms4196 W:1112;R:1112 LehmanLib.GroupStudyArea

Evaluation: Course grades will based be on (i) three assigned problem sets (7.5%), (ii) seven inclass quizzes (12.5%) (iii) a 75
minutemidtermexamination(30%)and(iv)acomprehensivefinalexam(50%).Examswillcoverallassignedreadings,lectures
and lab sessions. The (tentative) date for the midterm is February 29; the final exam date will be set in accordance with the
Universitycalendar.Graderostersfortheproblemsets,quizzesandexamswillbepostedatCourseworks.Examswillbegraded
collectivelybygraduatestudentteachingassistants.Therearenoextracreditopportunities.

Review Sessions: Prior to the midterm and final exams, I will hold a review session covering most of the relevant material.
PreviouscopiesofexamswillbepostedatCourseworksanddiscussedatthesesessions.

Quizzes: Of the seven inclass quizzes, only the six best scores will be counted. There are no makeups for missed quizzes.
QuizzeswillnotbereturnedalthoughsolutionsetswillbepostedatCourseworksonedayaftereachquiz.

Problem Sets: No late assignments will be accepted. Problem sets are worth 5 points each and will be graded on a + (5
points),(3points),(1point)and0basis.Gradedproblemsetswillbereturnedinlabsessions.Solutionsetswillbepostedat
Courseworksonedayafterduedates.Problemsetsmustindicateyourname,UNIandsection#onthefrontpage.Whileyou
are free to discuss with classmates, you must submityour own solutions. Simply copying another students work is cheating.
Columbiaspolicyonacademicintegrityisathttp://www.college.columbia.edu/bulletin/universitypolicies.php.

TentativeCourseSchedule

January18 FirstPrinciples Chapters1,2
NoLabSessions
January23 SupplyandDemandI Chapter3
LabSession:Supply/DemandApplications
ProblemSet#1Posted;DueFebruary1
January25 SupplyandDemandII Chapter4
January30 Elasticity Chapter6
LabSession:ElasticityMath&Applications
February1 TheoryofConsumerBehaviorI Chapter9
February6 TheoryofConsumerBehaviorII Chapter9Appendix
LabSession:GeometryofConsumerTheory
February8 TechnologyandCosts Chapter10
February13 CompetitiveMarketsI Chapter11
LabSession:TwoVariableInputs
ProblemSet#2Posted;DueFebruary22
February15 CompetitiveMarketsII Chapter11
February20 ImperfectCompetitionI Chapter14
LabSession:StrategicBehavior:BasicGameTheory
February22 NOCLASS/ToBeRescheduled(ImperfectCompetitionII) Chapter12,13
February26 SpecialSession:MidTermReview
February27 Distortions:Externalities/PublicGoods Chapter5
LabSession:EconomicsofInformation
February29 MIDTERMEXAM
March6 SpecialSession:MidTermReview
March5 IntroductiontoMacroeconomics
LabSessions:CollectiveOfficeHours
March7 MeasuringEconomicActivity Chapter19
March12,14 SPRINGBREAK
March19 EmploymentandInflation/MacroHistory Chapter20;Handout
LabSession:FinancialStatements
March21 EconomicGrowth Chapter22
March26 ShortRunIncomeDeterminationI Chapter23
LabSession:GNPAccounting/PriceIndices
ProblemSet#3Posted;DueApril4
March28 ShortRunIncomeDeterminationII Chapter23
April2 FiscalPolicy Chapter27
LabSession:AlgebraofIncomeDetermination
April4 Money&Banking Chapter25
April9 FEDandMonetaryPolicy Chapter26
1 LabSession:MoneyCreation/CentralBanking
April11 AggregateSupplyandDemand Chapter24
April16 MacroPolicyIssuesI Chapter28
LabSession:AggregateSupply/Demand
April18 MacroPolicyIssuesII Chapter28
April23 InternationalTrade Chapter8
LabSession:FinalExamReview
April25 InternationalFinance Chapters29,30
April30 IncomeDistribution TBD

May 1/2/3TBD SpecialSession:FinalExamReview

MayTBD FINALEXAM Tentative

UntilthedatefortheFinalExamisconfirmed,youshouldnotrelyonanytentativeexamdatelisted.
DonotmakedepartureplansthatmayconflictwiththeFinalExam.