Mathematics for Economics - 2nd Edition [Hardcover]

Michael Hoy (Author), John Livernois (Author), Chris McKenna (Author), Ray Rees (Author), Thanasis Stengos (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0262082942 | ISBN-13: 978-0262082945 | Publication Date: June 11, 2001 | Edition: second edition

This paperback edition is not available in the U.S. and Canada. This book offers a comprehensive presentation of the mathematics required to tackle problems in economic analysis. To give a better understanding of the mathematical concepts, the text follows the logic of the development of mathematics rather than that of an economics course. After a review of the fundamentals of sets, numbers, and functions, the book covers limits and continuity, the calculus of functions of one variable, linear algebra, multivariate calculus, and dynamics. To develop the student's problem-solving skills, the book works through a large number of examples and economic applications. The second edition includes simple game theory, l'Hôpital's rule, Leibniz's rule, and a more intuitive development of the Hamiltonian. An instructor's manual is available.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book offers clear exposition, includes relevant material, and provides intuitive explanations. These are the hallmarks of a first class textbook." --Morton I. Kamien, Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University

"Mathematics is the language of economics, and this book is an excellent introduction to that language."--George J. Mailath, Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Endowed Term Professor in the Social Sciences and Professor of Economics, University of Pennsylvania

About the Author

Michael Hoy is a faculty member in the Economics Department at the University of Guelph. John Livernois is a faculty member in the Economics Department at the University of Guelph, Ontario. Chris McKenna is a faculty member in the Economics Department at the University of Guelph, Ontario. Ray Rees is a faculty member at the Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich. Thanasis Stengos is a faculty member in the Economics Department at the University of Guelph, Ontario.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Hardcover: 1143 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press; second edition edition (June 11, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262082942
• ISBN-13: 978-0262082945
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 8.1 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #344,067 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Thanasis Stengos joined the Department of Economics at the University of Guelph in 1984. He received a B.Sc. in Economics from the London School of Economics (1979), an M.Sc. from the London School of Economics (1980) and Ph.D. from Queen's University (1984). His main teaching area is econometrics. His research interests are in nonparametric methods and empirical growth. He has published in many other areas in economics, including labor, empirical finance, applied demand analysis and economic history. His research has been published in journals including the Review of Economic Studies, European Economic Review, International Economic Review, Economic Journal, Journal of Monetary Economics, Journal of Econometrics, The Review of Economic and Statistics, Journal of Applied Econometrics, Journal of Business and Economic Statistics and Journal of Economic Growth.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A solid math for econ book, February 20, 2006

By 

Coleman Nee "economist dad" (Geneva, Switzerland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mathematics for Economics - 2nd Edition (Hardcover)

Some of the previous reviewers have complained that this book is too easy while others thought it was too hard. Personally, I think the authors have struck excacly the right balance between rigor and a "cookbook" approach. Just compare it to the major competing texts. Fundamental Methods by Chiang is way too chatty and a bit out of date (I haven't seen the new edition, but I understand that not much changed). Chiang will get you through undergrad in style, but it's not the best preparation for graduate school. On the other hand, Mathematics for Economists by Simon and Blume is great for advanced undergrads and beginning grad students, but I suspect it's too difficult for beginners who don't already have some solid math preparation under their belts. Hoy et. al. falls right in between these two books. It is an introductory text to be sure, but it covers a lot of topics, some not even covered in S&B. It is challenging but not impossible for beginners and will give them a broad survey of the field. I readily admit that the style is a bit dry, although it would be hard for it not to be with so many authors. Overall, I would recommend this book highly to ambitious undergrads or even underprepared grad students (like I was once). However, if you definitely need something more challenging get Simon and Blume.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Clear and Clean, May 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Mathematics for Economics (Hardcover)

This is a very useful introductory text for economics students who want to plug into the mathematics needed for more advanced economics courses. The treatment of multivariate calculus is intuitive and clear, but I wish there was less pre-calculus and more work on total differentials and differential equations. Chiang is better for those topics. The introduction to dynamics is a useful preliminary look at this deep topic

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for help with economic theory ..., October 20, 2003

By 

Streakblondie "streakblondie" (Lower Hutt, Wellington New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mathematics for Economics - 2nd Edition (Hardcover)

Very useful book for calculations for economic application: I say applications, because the examples are extremely useful for use with economic courses or theory.

I am studying at undergraduate level, and have used this book along-side set texts for 3-4 courses ... including intermediate microeconomics (so, if you have the Varian set textbook, this book is extremely helpful!!, with lots of relevant examples).

Very useful, easy to understand (straight forward).