ECON 4001
Intermediate Microeconomic Theory
Analytic theory of consumer and producer behavior under perfect and imperfect competition. Coverage of demand theory (indifference curves and utility functions) and preferences under uncertainty, including expected utility and risk aversion. Development of general equilibrium under pure exchange, including the concepts of competitive equilibrium and Pareto efficiency. Discussion of the role of time as it pertains to interest rates, discounting and net present value. Analysis of standard monopoly and simple oligopoly problems. Development of non-cooperative game theory, including strategic and extensive-form equilibria and Nash and sub-game perfect equilibria. Thorough training in intermediate theory would require both intermediate microeconomics and intermediate macroeconomics.
Instructors
Bumin Yenmez, John Nachbar, Jonathan Weinstein, Nachbar, Weinstein
Reviews
6-8 hrs/week
I had John Nachbar, a fantastic professor. It is certainly calculus heavy at times but office hours are very beneficial for the homeworks. A very doable class if you put the time in.
10/16/2024
4-6 hrs/week
Content is much harder than micro one, except for game theory. Weinstein has huge curve tho
5/18/2024
he is very organized in class, and I really like his teaching style. He also carefully asks if everyone understands when explaining concepts. totally amazing professor.
3/7/2024
He is funny in an awkward way, tries to crack jokes throughout lectures. Attending the lecture and doing the weekly homework really helps with understanding the theoretical concepts and prepare for the exam. He gives enough materials and support to succeed, and exams are curved.
1/17/2024
Pros: Very straightforward with concepts, tells you all the formulas/methods you need to know. Curves so 50% of the class gets A- or above.nnCons: Super boring, monotone. Doesn't explain concepts well or at all. The second test out of 3 was very unfair/difficult given what we learned. Tests are worth 70% of grade. Homework is pretty difficult.
12/28/2023
Straightforward professor who gives you all the info you need to know, but requires strong grasp of key concepts in order to succeed
12/26/2023
Lectures are incredibly interesting, but sometimes hard to follow because the material is difficult. Make sure to sit in the front so you can hear everything Nachbar says clearly! Homework and office hours are really helpful; he is super willing to go over examples again and re-explain concepts. 10/10 recommend taking this class with Nachbar.
5/16/2023
Nachbar isn't the greatest lecturer in the world; be prepared to be lost pretty quickly, but the homework he assigns is extremely helpful and the material is pretty interesting. Exams are usually pretty hard, but he curves really generously so that the average is always around a B+/A. Do the homework and study for exams and you'll be fine.
5/7/2023
Great professor. Gives very clear lectures w amazingly detailed slides. Able to communicate abstract and theoretical concepts in an easy-to-grasp manner. Class is quite difficult, w/ level of complexity and mathematics ramping up quickly in the later third of the course. Very accessible outside of class and will respond to emails almost instantly.
12/26/2022
Professor Nachbar is super caring and really cares about his students. The course is lecture heavy and homework and exams can be a bit tricky. Going to office hours definitely helps!
11/16/2022
ECON4011 starts off pretty easy but ends rather hard. Prepare for a lot of math. Know how to do KKT for the final. Lecture attendance isn't mandatory (I didn't go), and Nachbar's slides are *incredible*. Definitely review the slides and textbook thoroughly. Don't fall behind schedule even if you don't go to lectures because it's hard to catch up.
7/25/2022
Gives very thorough and nuanced lectures. You can tell he thinks from students' perspectives and he means it when he wants you to understand rather than brute memorize most concepts. The exams are not necessarily easy but he is accommodating with homework and grading. Incorporates real examples and gives general recommendations for econ majors.
5/16/2022
Kinda awkward but in an extremely sweet way. Cares about students and the workload/exams are fair. Not an easy A tho; you'll definitely have to work for it.
8/31/2021
Nachbar teaches at a very conceptual and almost theoretical level. Because of this, it was often quite difficult to apply those concepts to homework and exam problems. Nachbar does care about all of his students though, and he wants to make sure everyone understands the material. Making use of office hours will lead to success in his classes.
5/9/2021
Weinstein is a good teacher and uses real world examples to get his point across. I can tell he had a few difficulties showing us his mathematical steps over zoom, but overall I never felt he failed to teach us the material. He is also a nice person and happy to answer questions. If you know the homework, you will do alright on tests.
12/26/2020
Class content is challenging but not impossible to follow, the problem is (maybe now since all classes are online) none of what is presented in pre-recorded lectures ever matches up the content of homework. Despite him always saying to reach out for help or questions and seeming like a genuinely nice guy, I never got any emails back when I wrote.
11/4/2020
Professor Nachbar is great and always made sure he explained material clearly. It's a lot of algebra so it's easy to get lost quickly and details matter. Online homework sets were challenging but good review. Tests were fine and he was very good about holding review sessions and plenty of office hours beforehand, even after the switch to online.
10/14/2020
Professor Nachbar is great. He handled the transition to online well and was very understanding, and he does a great job of making complex material understandable. His grading is also very fair and he is accessibly. I like that his main concern is that you learn the material (as opposed to homework, participation). A+
5/7/2020
Definitely an awkward guy, but he gives clear and straightforward lectures and tries to keep things humorous.
4/6/2020
He is a great professor. His explanation of the materials are thorough and dense. He makes sure that everyone understands the course material by going through homework problems. Exams and the amount of homework are fair. If you go to lectures and do the homework problems, getting an A is super easy. Amazing professor.
1/14/2020