Reviews for Mathematics for Economists

The average rating for Mathematics for Economists based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2010-12-05 00:00:00 Bernard Greenwood I will echo the sentiment that this book is much better suited for review than for learning, but it does its job very well. I find myself coming back to it again and again. I take that as a sign of a good reference book. If you're interested in the kind of math economists use, this is a good reference. If you're an econ undergrad, though, I'd recommend taking some courses in real analysis, linear algebra and optimization before cracking this tome.

Review # 2 was written on 2018-08-11 00:00:00 Anthony Rael Much more of a book of applied mathematics than an economics textbook, Mathematics for Economists reviews the key concepts of differential calculus, integral calculus, and linear algebra en route to a careful study of multivariable calculus and optimization. Clearly written with an eye for proof, the text is rigorous enough to satisfy mathematicians skeptical of the validity of economic analysis while remaining accessible to students with limited exposure to higher mathematics. While I agree with the reviewers that this text is at times difficult to follow without supplementary materials, the state of technology (Khan Academy, MOOCs, applications like Matlab, Wolfram Alpha, 3-D graphers, etc.) makes the key insights of this book accessible to the dedicated autodidact. What is lost in the concise presentation style is more than made up for by well-aligned chapters that advance to the mathematical core of graduate level economics as quickly as possible. One final note: Mathematics for Economists is largely geared towards the students of advanced microeconomics; students more interested in macroeconomists or econometrics might consider looking elsewhere. But if you are looking for a clear, well-written treatment of the intersection of mathematics and economic theory, you would be hard-pressed to do better than Simon and Blume's classic text.