NMAB20004U Microeconomics 2: Market Imperfections (MikØk2)

Volume 2024/2025
Education

Bacheloruddannelsen i matematik-økonomi

Content

The course presents microeconomic theory of markets with imperfections including game theory, information economics, externalities and public goods, as well as an introduction to behavioral economics.

 

Students will learn how economic problems involving strategic situations can be modeled and how these models are solved. The course intention is that the student becomes able to work with modern economic theory, for instance within the areas of industrial organization, international economics, labor economics, public economics, political economics and financial economics.

 

In the first part of the course, students will learn about the basics of non-cooperative game theory including static games with complete and incomplete information, dynamic games and games with imperfect information.

 

The second part of course is devoted to situations with information asymmetries which lead to principal-agent problems, including moral hazard and adverse selection.

 

The third part of the course covers situations with externalities, public good problems and provides an introduction to mechanism design, as well as topics related to behavioral economics.

 

Learning Outcome

Knowledge:

  • Present, explain and define the concepts and the models studies throughout the course in a clear and precise way.
  • Formally state the definition of economic concepts and explain the key differences between different classes of models.
  • Account for the equilibrium solution concepts that are relevant for these models.
  • Illustrate the economic mechanisms underlying basic microeconomic theory.

 

Skills:

  • Solving non-cooperative games and models with imperfect markets.
  • Explaining the relevant steps in the reasoning of the solution
  • Interpreting the outcomes of the analysis and deriving predictions based on these models.
  • Applying theoretical arguments in the context of game theory, situations with asymmetric information and externalities
  • Evaluate and debate the crucial assumptions underlying the theory.

 

Competences:

  • Applying game-theoretic analysis and economic arguments in the face of strategic decisions.
  • Applying the models to predict behaviour and outcomes of strategic situations.
  • Set up, prove, analyze and apply the theories and methods used in the course in an independent manner.

The course will be based on lecture notes which will be provided throughout the semester.

 

The first two parts of the course are closely related to

  • Jehle, G. A., & Reny, P. J. (2011). Advanced Microeconomic Theory (Third). Essex: Pearson Education Limited.

 

For the third part of the course, complementary readings provide an overview  of the relevant economic theories:

  • Varian, H. R. (2014). Intermediate Microeconomics: A Modern Approach: Ninth International Student Edition. WW Norton & Company.
  • Some short additional materials (can be downloaded from Absalon)

 

Microeconomics 1 (MikØk1), Probability Theory (Sand) or similar.
5 hours of lectures and 3 hours of exercise classes per week for 7 weeks.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 35
  • Preparation
  • 147
  • Theory exercises
  • 21
  • Exam
  • 3
  • Total
  • 206
Oral
Collective
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
On-site written exam, 3 hours under invigilation
Type of assessment details
Written exam
Aid
Without aids
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
External censorship
Re-exam

Same as ordinary exam.

Criteria for exam assesment

The student should convincingly and accurately demonstrate the knowledge, skills and competences described under Intended learning outcome.