ECON2125/6012#

Course title: Optimisation for Economics and Financial Economics

  • Elective second year course in the Bachelor of Economics program ECON2125

  • Compulsory second math course in the Master of Economics program ECON6012

2025 Semester 1#

Lectures and assessments#

Week

Date

Topic

Notes

1

Feb 17

πŸ“– Course introduction
πŸ“– Logic and proofs

2

Feb 24

πŸ“š Revision: sets and mappings
πŸ“š Revision: Sequences and limits

πŸ”¬ Problem set alpha Ξ±

3

March 3

πŸ“– Fundamentals of optimization

Video of last part

πŸ”¬ Problem set beta Ξ²

😬

March 9

Online test (10%)

30min, open book

4

Recorded

πŸ“š Revision: matrix arithmetic
πŸ“š Revision: multivariate differentiation

March 10 = public holiday

πŸ”¬ Problem set gamma Ξ³

5

March 17

πŸ“– Vector spaces and linear operators

πŸ”¬ Problem set delta Ξ΄

6

March 24

πŸ“– Eigenpairs and diagonalization

πŸ”¬ Problem set epsilon Ο΅

😬

March 30

Online test (10%)

30min, open book

πŸ₯³

Teaching break

2 weeks

7

April 14

πŸ“– Quadratic forms

Taught by Wending Liu

πŸ”¬ Problem set zeta ΞΆ

8

Recorded

πŸ“– Unconstrained optimization
πŸ“– Convexity and uniqueness

Apr 21 = public holiday

πŸ”¬ Problem set eta Ξ·

😬

April 27

Online test (10%)

30min, open book

9

April 28

πŸ“– Constrained optimization

πŸ”¬ Problem set theta ΞΈ

10

May 5

πŸ“– Kuhn-Tucker conditions

πŸ”¬ Problem set iota ΞΉ

😬

May 11

Online test (10%)

30min, open book

11

May 12

πŸ“– Envelope theorem

πŸ”¬ Problem set kappa ΞΊ

12

May 19

πŸ›Ÿ Previous years exam problems

πŸ”¬ Consultations

😎

May 21

Course project (15%)

recorded presentation

πŸ€“

Final exam (45%)

3h, invigilated

Course web pages#

Class summary ECON2125 Class summary ECON612

  • Official course description

  • Two identical courses in both content and assessment

  • Final grades may be adjusted/moderated separately

Wattle page

  • Announcements

  • Recordings

  • Assessments

  • Grades

optim.iskh.me

  • sufficient lecture notes

  • downloadable as markdown or pdf

  • Latest version of the notes a day before the lecture

  • check for the updates in the morning of the day of the lecture

Course convener and lecturer#

Professor Fedor Iskhakov

_images/f2.jpg

I’m an applied micro-econometrician and a computational economist working in the field of structural estimation of dynamic models of individual and strategic choice, with applications to labor economics, public economics, durable goods markets, household finance, applied industrial organization and dynamic games.

Tutoring team#

Wending Liu

_images/Wending-Liu.jpg
  • Email: Wending.Liu@.anu.edu.au

  • Web: Personal page

  • Room: Room 2084, Copland Bld (24)

  • Office hours: Thursday 13:00-14:00

Iris (Man Hin) Chio

_images/Man-Hin-Iris-Chio.jpg
  • Email: Man.Chio@anu.edu.au

  • Web: ANU page

  • Room: Room 2101, Crisp Bld

  • Office hours: Tuesday, 13:00-14:00

Lecture times#

  • Lectures: Monday 15:00 β€” 17:00

  • Location: Melville Hall, Bldg 12, Room G01

  • Echo-360 recordings on Wattle

  • Face-to-face is strictly preferred

Tutorial times#

Day

From

To

Room

Tutor

Monday

17:00

18:00

TR6, CBE Bldg 26C

Iris Chio

Tuesday

15:00

16:00

TR6, CBE Bldg 26C

Iris Chio

Thursday

14:00

15:00

TR5, CBE Bldg 26C

Wending Liu

Thursday

15:00

16:00

TR5, CBE Bldg 26C

Wending Liu

Thursday

16:00

17:00

TR5, CBE Bldg 26C

Wending Liu

See the Wattle page for updates

Reference#

These lecture notes are in part based on the teaching materials by Dr. Damien Eldridge and by Prof. John Stachurski

S1 2025 reflection#