[Econla]

(Original post by Timetravelport)
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed so far really has been a big help, I have made notes of the book titles adviced.

@ Econla
Exactly I really would like an easy book, which really starts from the basics and builds up.
The plus side is that I have a lot of time until till the start date, and will start preparing after 3/4 weeks when I have made a finally decision.

Some people say that Chiang "Fundamentals Methods of Mathematical Economics" is a walk through the park with your dad. If your looking a good to start from the very beginning, maybe this could be your book.
Take a look a this http://econphd.econwiki.com/books.htm

[Lalafell]

(Original post by Econla)
Some people say that Chiang "Fundamentals Methods of Mathematical Economics" is a walk through the park with your dad. If your looking a good to start from the very beginning, maybe this could be your book.
Take a look a this http://econphd.econwiki.com/books.htm

Chaing is outdated like Simon and Blume. It contains too detail of some of non-essential topics but left out some of the important topics.


To begin with, you can read the Rao and Pemberton. But I would suggest you to read the one by Peter Hammond, which is the most up-to-date text I have ever seen.

[.ACS.]

Everyone has their preference with regard to textbooks.

Personally, for mathematical methods texts, I prefer:
Essential Mathematics for Economic Analysis by Sydsaeter and Hammond
Further Mathematics for Economic Analysis by Sydsaeter and Hammond

For a good guide to matrix algebra:
Matrix Algebra by Abadir and Magnus

For a good book on statistics:
Statistical Inference by Casella and Berger
Introduction to Mathematical Statistics by Hogg and Craig (Not personally used but have heard excellent things on it.)


Also, none of us can say how mathematical VU Amsterdam is. None of us have been there. However, if you're capable of working through the textbooks I've listed above, then you're more than capable of handling an MSc Economics programme.

[Lalafell]

(Original post by .ACS.)
Everyone has their preference with regard to textbooks.

Personally, for mathematical methods texts, I prefer:
Essential Mathematics for Economic Analysis by Sydsaeter and Hammond
Further Mathematics for Economic Analysis by Sydsaeter and Hammond

For a good guide to matrix algebra:
Matrix Algebra by Abadir and Magnus

For a good book on statistics:
Statistical Inference by Casella and Berger
Introduction to Mathematical Statistics by Hogg and Craig (Not personally used but have heard excellent things on it.)


Also, none of us can say how mathematical VU Amsterdam is. None of us have been there. However, if you're capable of working through the textbooks I've listed above, then you're more than capable of handling an MSc Economics programme.

Hi, how are you? I have seen you around for a few years now. Nice to see you again! You are as cute as usual XD

[Econla]

(Original post by .ACS.)
Everyone has their preference with regard to textbooks.

Personally, for mathematical methods texts, I prefer:
Essential Mathematics for Economic Analysis by Sydsaeter and Hammond
Further Mathematics for Economic Analysis by Sydsaeter and Hammond

For a good guide to matrix algebra:
Matrix Algebra by Abadir and Magnus

For a good book on statistics:
Statistical Inference by Casella and Berger
Introduction to Mathematical Statistics by Hogg and Craig (Not personally used but have heard excellent things on it.)


Also, none of us can say how mathematical VU Amsterdam is. None of us have been there. However, if you're capable of working through the textbooks I've listed above, then you're more than capable of handling an MSc Economics programme.

Totally agree with Abadir and Magnus

[Ghost6]

(Original post by .ACS.)
For a good book on statistics:
Statistical Inference by Casella and Berger
Introduction to Mathematical Statistics by Hogg and Craig (Not personally used but have heard excellent things on it.)

I second this advice, although both books cover much, much more than what is need typically needed by economics students even at the top departments. These texts are adequate at say, the advanced undergraduate level or beginning graduate level for students in mathematics and statistics. The level is adequate for motivated students with say a solid knowledge of multivariable calculus and some "mathematical maturity", but not really much more. Now these are not really rigorous texts, i.e. based on a measure-theoretic formulation of probability, which has massive advantages over the "basic" formulation, but which is essentially the culmination of a B.S. in mathematics.

[ProbablyNoGod]

You will be a lot better placed doing an MA Econ as the Msc program is likely to presume most of the students to have completed a BSc Econ or mathematics.

[Budgie]

(Original post by Lalafell)
If you wanna do a MSc Economics at UCL, LSE, Oxbridg, you need much more than all the posters mentioned here, partiuclarly for the UCL MSc Economics, LSE Econmetric and Mathematical Economics, Cam MPhil Economic Research, and the second year of Ox MPhil.

The emboldened bit is not accurate as it implies the first year of the Oxford M.Phil is mathematically easier which is not the case. The M.Phil aims to be roughly equivalent to the first two years of a U.S PhD and as such the first year is much tougher than the second year. You have all the core theory thrown at you and it is, as with all economics grad courses, highly technical.

The M.Phil is two years to cover more ground, not to start at a lower level.

[Lalafell]

(Original post by Budgie)
The emboldened bit is not accurate as it implies the first year of the Oxford M.Phil is mathematically easier which is not the case. The M.Phil aims to be roughly equivalent to the first two years of a U.S PhD and as such the first year is much tougher than the second year. You have all the core theory thrown at you and it is, as with all economics grad courses, highly technical.

The M.Phil is two years to cover more ground, not to start at a lower level.

Unfortunately, I have personally seen the lecture notes for Ox mphil economics and I have compared it with the UCL MSc Economics (not sure MPhil Economics/Economc Research though).

it is much much less mathematical than the UCL MSc Economics.

[Lalafell]

You need evidence?

The following link contains Ox MPhil Macro notes. People who understand Economics could judge the mathematical level of the Ox Mphil Macro.

http://www.oxford-mphil.com/images/a...ey-economy.pdf

Actually, many lecture notes for the Ox Mphil can be found in the following link. You can go to UCL Moodle page for each of the MSc modules and sign in as a guest to download the lecture note.

http://www.oxford-mphil.com/index.php?title=Main_Page

[Budgie]

(Original post by Lalafell)
You need evidence?

The following link contains Ox MPhil Macro notes. People who understand Economics could judge the mathematical level of the Ox Mphil Macro.

http://www.oxford-mphil.com/images/a...ey-economy.pdf

Obviously it is impossible to judge the technical level from one lecture handout (which, incidentally, is I think the second macro lecture of the year). The textbooks for the first year are, basically, Mas-Colell for micro, Hayashi for econometrics, and Romer (+ some others, Obsteld and Rogoff). I.E the same textbooks that are used almost universally for grad courses in economics.

[Lalafell]

One very simple example. Just look at the lecture note for Ox Mphil Micro preference

http://www.oxford-mphil.com/index.php?title=Uncertainty

It is what people learned in the third year undergraduate

[Lalafell]

(Original post by Budgie)
Obviously it is impossible to judge the technical level from one lecture handout (which, incidentally, is I think the second macro lecture of the year). The textbooks for the first year are, basically, Mas-Colell for micro, Hayashi for econometrics, and Romer (+ some others, Obsteld and Rogoff). I.E the same textbooks that are used almost universally for grad courses in economics.

So do you mean in the lecture notes the level is third year undergrad, but students use Mas-Colell to study third year undergrad material?

[Budgie]

I am struggling to find UCL lecture notes, although I have found their introductory maths course notes, which cover the same material as we do.

[Lalafell]

(Original post by Budgie)
I am struggling to find UCL lecture notes, although I have found their introductory maths course notes, which cover the same material as we do.

Here,

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/economics/gradu...-list/econg021

Clink on moodle and then log in as a guest.

I think even people who are not econ major would be able to distinguish the different technical levels.

[Budgie]

(Original post by Lalafell)
One very simple example. Just look at the lecture note for Ox Mphil Micro preference

http://www.oxford-mphil.com/index.php?title=Uncertainty

It is what people learned in the third year undergraduate

I have never seen those notes before - they are out of date, and you have clearly cherrypicked them by their lack of technical detail. You are right - I covered that material in the second year of my undergraduate. However, choice under uncertainty gets only half a lecture worth of coverage on the M.Phil nowadays (much more time is spent on consumer preference, ie the first few chapters of MWG); so that is a specific topic that is not done in high detail. The notes on Consumer and Producer and Choice Under Uncertainty this year simply follow MWG.

The Bargaining and Contracts, or General Equilibrium, or Consumer and Producer notes are more likely to be representative of the level of technicality.

[Budgie]

(Original post by Lalafell)
Here,

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/economics/gradu...-list/econg021

Clink on moodle and then log in as a guest.

I think even people who are not econ major would be able to distinguish the different technical levels.

It won't let me through to the Moodle page; if I login as guest it redirects me to the Moodle homepage.

However, the syllabus looks near identical.

If you're right, all the people here who topped their year on good undergrad courses should find the first year a doddle. They do not. It is clearly a step below the first year at top American schools or indeed the LSE Msc, but it is only one step below. It is certainly not equivalent to a diploma year, as you have been making out.

[Lalafell]

(Original post by Budgie)
I have never seen those notes before - they are out of date, and you have clearly cherrypicked them by their lack of technical detail. You are right - I covered that material in the second year of my undergraduate. However, choice under uncertainty gets only half a lecture worth of coverage on the M.Phil nowadays (much more time is spent on consumer preference, ie the first few chapters of MWG); so that is a specific topic that is not done in high detail. They may have cut that part of the course because it was too easy.

The Bargaining and Contracts, or General Equilibrium, or Consumer and Producer notes are more likely to be representative of the level of technicality.

Well... it is meaningless to continue the argument anymore. The lecture notes for both UCL MSc Economics and the Ox MPhil Economics are online (including the bargaining and contrct, GE etc). The Ox notes are out of date but I don't think the content has changed that much.

People can actually compare the notes and make judgement themselves.

[Lalafell]

(Original post by Budgie)
It won't let me through to the Moodle page; if I login as guest it redirects me to the Moodle homepage.

However, the syllabus looks near identical.

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/economics/gradu...-list/econg021

Then click on Moodle: ECONG021

And then log in as a guest. I don't have a password but I can successfully log in as a guest to download the material.

[Lalafell]

(Original post by Budgie)
It won't let me through to the Moodle page; if I login as guest it redirects me to the Moodle homepage.

However, the syllabus looks near identical.

If you're right, all the people here who topped their year on good undergrad courses should find the first year a doddle. They do not. It is clearly a step below the first year at top American schools or indeed the LSE Msc, but it is only one step below. It is certainly not equivalent to a diploma year, as you have been making out.

A quick look at the Ox Mphil 2008 Microeconometric and Macroeconometric notes found that they are indeed less technical.

You said you used Hayashi... but the 2008 lecture notes are defintiely not level as Hayashi.

http://www.oxford-mphil.com/index.ph...roeconometrics