Print

2023　Microeconomics I

Font size  SML

Register update notification mail Add to favorite lecture list
Academic unit or major
Undergraduate major in Industrial Engineering and Economics
Instructor(s)
Yamato Takehiko 
Class Format
Lecture    (Blended)
Media-enhanced courses
Day/Period(Room No.)
Tue1-2(WL2-301(W631))  Fri1-2(WL2-301(W631))  
Group
-
Course number
IEE.B201
Credits
2
Academic year
2023
Offered quarter
1Q
Syllabus updated
2023/6/14
Lecture notes updated
-
Language used
Japanese
Access Index

Course description and aims

　This course will provide a comprehensive overview of theoretical microeconomic analyses at the undergraduate level. In every textbook on introductory economics or civics studied in junior high schools, there are figures illustrating a downward-sloping "demand curve" showing that "the demand increases as the price decreases", an upward-sloping "supply curve" demonstrating that "the supply increases as the price increases", and a "market equilibrium" at which the demand and supply curves intersect. However, demand curves illustrate the results of consumption choices, and it is not obvious what kinds of consumers' behavior lead to a downward-sloping demand curve. Similarly, supply curves demonstrate results of firms' production activities, and it is not straightforward what kinds of firms' behavior lead to a upward-sloping supply curve. In this course, we analyze economic activities behind the demand and supply curves and then examine the properties of market equilibria to clarify why market transactions with prices are effective and widely used.
Microeconomics is important for understanding economic phenomena, and it is essential for the studies of economics, industrial engineering, and other related fields. By combining lectures and exercises, the course aims to enable students to understand the basic ideas in microeconomics and acquire the fundamentals of microeconomic analytical tools widely applicable to various economic and management situations. Analytical tools taught in this course are not only useful in studying market mechanisms, but are applicable to various other types of economic systems, and are useful in other courses on economics and industrial engineering.

Student learning outcomes

At the end of this course, students will be able to:
1) Explain the properties of preferences and indifference curves of consumers
2) Analyze the utility maximization problem.
3) Explain the income effect, the substitution effect, and law of demand
4) Analyze the profit maximization problem and cost minimization problem.
5) Derive the cost function and the supply function.
6) Compare perfect competition and monopoly in terms of consumer surplus, producer surplus, and social surplus.

Keywords

Consumer Behavior, Demand Function, Firm Behavior, Supply Function, Competitive Market Equilibrium, Consumer Surplus, Producer Surplus, and Monopoly

Competencies that will be developed

✔ Specialist skills Intercultural skills Communication skills Critical thinking skills ✔ Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

At the beginning of each class, solutions to exercise problems that were assigned during the previous class are reviewed. Towards the end of class, students are given exercise problems related to the lecture given that day to solve. To prepare for class, students should read the course schedule section and check what topics will be covered. Required learning should be completed outside of the classroom for preparation and review purposes.

Course schedule/Required learning

  Course schedule Required learning
Class 1 Introductory lecture on course objectives and microeconomics. - Demand and supply curves and equilibrium Demand and supply curves and equilibrium
Class 2 Consumption Choice A-(i). Preference relations Explain properties of preferences, utility functions, and indifference curves of consumers.
Class 3 Consumption Choice A-(ii). Preference relations Explain the marginal rate of substition, marginal utilities, perfect substitutes, perfect complements, and a monotonic trasfomation of a utility function.
Class 4 Consumption Choice B. Budget constraints C. Utility maximization Conduct a graphical analysis of utility maximization and compute utility maxmization points.
Class 5 Consumption Choice D. Demand Function: Effects of income and price changes, Income effect, and Substitution effect.　 Explain the effects of income and price changes on consumption choices. Conduct a a graphical analysis of the income effect and the substitution effect.
Class 6 Consumption Choice D. Demand Function: Law of demand E. Revealed Preferences Explain the law of demand and revealed preferences.
Class 7 Consumption Choice E. Revealed Preferences F. Second-order conditions for utility maximization Explain the weak axiom of revealed preferences and check second-order conditions for utility maximization by determinants.
Class 8 Firm Behavior and Production Function A. Production function and isoquant curve Explain properties of the production function and isoquant curves.
Class 9 Firm Behavior and Production Function B. Profit maxmization Conduct a graphical analysis of profit maximization and compute profit maxmization points.
Class 10 Cost structure and supply function Cost structure and supply function A. Cost minimization and cost function B. Supply function of the firm Conduct a graphical analysis of cost minimization and compute cost minimization points. Derive the cost function. Derive the supply function and explain it by using a graph.
Class 11 Shot run and Long run Explain the differences between the short run and the long run. Derive average and marginal cost functions both in the short run and in the long run.
Class 12 Competitive Markets A. Competitive market equilibrium B. Consumer and producer surpluses C. Effects of taxes and optimality of a competitive equilibrium Explain and compute competitive market equilibria and consumer and producer surpluses. Conduct a graphical analysis of optimality of a competitive equilibrium and effects of taxes.
Class 13 Monopoly A. Monopolist's profit maximization Explain and solve the monopolist's profit maximization problem.
Class 14 Monopoly B. Comparion of perfect competition and monopoly Compare perfect competition and monopoly in terms of consumer, producer, and social surpluses.

Out-of-Class Study Time (Preparation and Review)

To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.

Textbook(s)

No textbook is set. Download course materials from T2SCHOLA.

Reference books, course materials, etc.

Nishimura, Kazuo, "Introduction to Microeconmics," Iwanami Syoten, 1995. (Japanese)
Ishii, A., Saijo, T. and Shiozawa, S. "Introduction to Microeconmics," Yuhikaku, 1995. (Japanese)
Kandori, M. "Power of Microeconmics," Nihon Hyoronsha, 2014 (Japanese)

Assessment criteria and methods

Students' knowledge of consumer behavior, firm behavior, competitive markets, and monopoly, and their ability to apply them to problems will be assessed based on homework, reports, and exams.

Related courses

  • IEE.B202 ： Microeconomics II
  • IEE.B205 ： Noncooperartive Game Theory
  • IEE.A202 ： Mathematics for Industrial Engineering and Economics
  • IEE.B203 ： Macroeconomics I
  • IEE.A201 ： Basic Mathematics for Industrial Engineering and Economics

Prerequisites (i.e., required knowledge, skills, courses, etc.)

Being interested in economics and industrial engineering.

Page Top