Notes on Microeconomic Theory


 

Nolan H. Miller

 

Professor of Finance

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL 61820

 

 

Using the Notes

 

Download the Notes

 

 

 

Notes on Microeconomic Theory

The following notes were designed to accompany API 109i and API 111 / Econ 2020a / HBS 4401 (Harvard University).  They provide commentary on the text and contain most of what I cover in lecture.  However, they are not meant as substitutes for the text or lectures, which are the ultimate guide to the material in the course.

The notes are meant to accompany, not replace, the recommended texts for the course.  The recommended texts are:

Main Economics Text:

Mas-Colell, Whinston, and Green, Microeconomic Theory, Oxford University Press (1995).

To buy the book, click here for amazon.com or here for bn.com.

Supplementary Economics Texts:

Silberberg and Suen, The Structure of Economics: A Mathematical Analysis, Third Edition, Irwin McGraw-Hill 2001.

To buy the book, click here for amazon.com or here for bn.com.

Jehle and Reny, Advanced Microeconomic Theory, Second Edition, Addison Wesley Longman (2001).

Supplementary Math Texts:

Simon and Blume, Mathematics for Economists, W. W. Norton and Co. (1994).

To buy the book, click here for amazon.com or here for bn.com.

Chiang and Wainwright, Fundamental Methods of Mathematical Economics, Mc-Graw Hill.

To buy the book, click here for amazon.com or here for bn.com.

back to top

 

Download The Notes

The notes are still in a preliminary stage.  As such, they most likely contain typographical errors and confusing passages.  I ask that students keep this in mind if they choose to use these notes.  I welcome comments from students regarding errors in the notes or places where they can be made clearer.

 

 

Files for individual chapters (August 2006 Version)

Table of Contents and Chapter 1: The Economic Approach

Chapter 2: Consumer Theory Basics

Chapter 3: The Traditional Approach To Consumer Theory

Chapter 4: Topics in Consumer Theory

Chapter 5: Producer Theory

Chapter 6: Choice Under Uncertainty

Chapter 7: Competitive Markets and Partial Equilibrium Analysis

Chapter 8: Externalities and Public Goods

Chapter 9: Monopoly

back to top

 

Multi-chapter files

The First Half: Chapters 1 - 4

The Second Half: Chapters 5 - 9

back to top

 

 

Other Handouts

You, the Kuhn-Tucker Conditions, and You: An intuitive guide to when to use the Kuhn-Tucker conditions and what they do.

back to top