Unit Guide

General Information

Unit convenor and teaching staff	Unit convenor and teaching staff Paul Bryan paul.bryan@mq.edu.au Christian Thomas christian.thomas@mq.edu.au
Credit points	Credit points 10
Prerequisites	Prerequisites
Corequisites	Corequisites
Co-badged status	Co-badged status math1010
Unit description	Unit description This unit introduces students to a range of mathematical techniques from algebra and calculus. Its focus is on the modern application of these ideas, with a particular emphasis on applications to problems in economics, business and finance, and provides a sound mathematical basis for further study in these areas. A key focus of the unit is the development of a sound grasp of how mathematics is used to provide sophisticated modelling of complex real problems. The algebra content of the unit includes topics such as linear systems, matrices, determinants, vector spaces, eigenvalues and eigenvectors. The study of these topics is applied to model various economic problems such as Leontief input-output models and dynamical systems used to predict long-term behaviours. The calculus content includes the development of the techniques of differentiation and integration with applications to constrained and unconstrained optimisation, including multivariable cases, and the development and application of a variety of useful approximation techniques. The techniques studied in the calculus are used to study and solve a wide variety of economic and financial problems.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

ULO1: Develop of a range of algebraic skills and proficiency in algebraic techniques applicable to economics, finance and statistics.
ULO2: Demonstrate knowledge of linear equations and linear models to solve problems in economics, finance and statistics.
ULO3: Apply a wide range of techniques and ideas from differential and integral calculus to the analyse business, economic and financial data.
ULO4: Investigate a range of optimisation problems using the techniques of calculus.
ULO5: Formulate models of a variety of real world situations using techniques from differential equations.

General Assessment Information

ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION: Assignment submission will be online through the iLearn page.

Submit assignments online via the appropriate assignment link on the iLearn page. A personalised cover sheet is not required with online submissions. Read the submission statement carefully before accepting it as there are substantial penalties for making a false declaration.

Assignment submission is via iLearn. You should upload this as a single scanned PDF file.
Please note the quick guide on how to upload your assignments provided on the iLearn page.
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It is your responsibility to make sure your assignment submission is legible.
If there are technical obstructions to your submitting online, please email us to let us know.

You may submit as often as required prior to the due date/time. Please note that each submission will completely replace any previous submissions. It is in your interests to make frequent submissions of your partially completed work as insurance against technical or other problems near the submission deadline.

LATE SUBMISSION OF WORK:

Scheduled tests and exam must be undertaken at the time indicated in the unit guide. The Matlab assignment and the weekly homework must be submitted by 5:00 pm on their due date. Should these assessments be missed due to illness or misadventure, students should apply for Special Consideration.

A 12-hour grace period will be given after which the following deductions will be applied to the awarded assessment mark: 12 to 24 hours late = 10% deduction; for each day thereafter, an additional 10% per day or part thereof will be applied until five days beyond the due date. After this time, a mark of zero (0) will be given. For example, an assessment worth 20% is due 5 pm on 1 January. Student A submits the assessment at 1 pm, 3 January. The assessment received a mark of 15/20. A 20% deduction is then applied to the mark of 15, resulting in the loss of three (3) marks. Student A is then awarded a final mark of 12/20.

FINAL EXAM POLICY: It is Macquarie University policy not to set early examinations for individuals or groups of students. All students are expected to ensure that they are available until the end of the teaching semester, that is, the final day of the official examination period. The only excuse for not sitting an examination at the designated time is because of documented illness or unavoidable disruption. In these special circumstances, you may apply for special consideration via ask.mq.edu.au.

If you receive special consideration for the final exam, a supplementary exam will be scheduled in the interval between the regular exam period and the start of the next session. By making a special consideration application for the final exam you are declaring yourself available for a resit during this supplementary examination period and will not be eligible for a second special consideration approval based on pre-existing commitments. Please ensure you are familiar with the policy prior to submitting an application.

You can check the supplementary exam information page on FSE101 in iLearn (bit.ly/FSESupp) for dates, and approved applicants will receive an individual notification one week prior to the exam with the exact date and time of their supplementary examination.

Assessment Tasks

Name	Weighting	Hurdle	Due
Matlab Assignment	10%	No	Week 12
Weekly Quiz	16%	No	weeks 2,3,4,6,7,8,9,10,12
Major Test 2	12%	No	Week 11
Final Examination	50%	No	Exam period
Major Test 1	12%	No	Week 5

Matlab Assignment

Assessment Type ¹: Problem set
Indicative Time on Task ²: 7 hours
Due: Week 12
Weighting: 10%

The problem set will be aimed at introducing Matlab as a mathematical tool. It will ask students to perform various tasks using Matlab, such as plotting functions, computing derivatives and integrals, performing Gaussian elimination, and solving linear optimisation problems.