Which Math Level to prepare for economics at university?

[toytoytoy]

Hey guys, 

 

I just got into an economics program at a university in Spain, and I have basically taken a gap year for travelling and another year studying marketing and business of fashion. Now it's time to get the bigger picture of what it is that makes the world go round and how to manage a company. Now, I haven't really studied any math since the IB so I was planning on buying one of the Math books to start preparing before classes start in September this year. Which math book would you recommend for someone majoring in economics..would that be Math SL? I took studies in the IB (started with SL but then switched to Studies), so not too sure about what SL entails...Should I buy Math studies to brush up on the basics or buy Math SL to go deeper?

Thanks

Edited July 26, 2014 by toytoytoy

[ultimateone]

I suggest you buy Maths Studies, because it is a more statistical course based on the fundamentals of Maths. Also, it is worth noting that Economics doesn't involve complicated mathematics, i.e. calculus. It only uses the basics and Maths Studies will surely cover everything you need for Economics, if not beyond that, especially since you haven't done Maths in a while.

[Sandwich]

Might make the most sense just to find a book that's specifically about the Maths you need to tackle economics. I googled "Maths for Economics" and this was the first hit: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Maths-Economics-Geoff-Renshaw/dp/0199602123

 

But you should look around. Might be a useful textbook for your degree as well.

[yii yann]

Hey guys, 

 

I just got into an economics program at a university in Spain, and I have basically taken a gap year for travelling and another year studying marketing and business of fashion. Now it's time to get the bigger picture of what it is that makes the world go round and how to manage a company. Now, I haven't really studied any math since the IB so I was planning on buying one of the Math books to start preparing before classes start in September this year. Which math book would you recommend for someone majoring in economics..would that be Math SL? I took studies in the IB (started with SL but then switched to Studies), so not too sure about what SL entails...Should I buy Math studies to brush up on the basics or buy Math SL to go deeper?

Thanks

 

I looked through the reading list for the math part of the economics course in one of my local universities, and its fairly clear to me that you need to be very solidly grounded in the following: 

 

1) Functions and relations

2) Algebra/algebraic manipulation

3) Calculus

4) Series

5) Statistics (duh)

 

Of course there were topics not related to this, but the majority of math seemed to focus on the above topics. 

 

Now, with this in mind, I'd highly suggest getting a Math HL textbook, and being very well versed in at least all of those topics. This gives you a good strong base for the type of maths you're likely to be doing in an economics course in uni. 

[Ossih]

I suggest you buy Maths Studies, because it is a more statistical course based on the fundamentals of Maths. Also, it is worth noting that Economics doesn't involve complicated mathematics, i.e. calculus. It only uses the basics and Maths Studies will surely cover everything you need for Economics, if not beyond that, especially since you haven't done Maths in a while.

Actually, economics heavily involves calculus. Not IB Economics (although there is a small portion in my math HL textbook about applications to econ) but economics is riddled with the concept of 'marginal', which is calculus. Marginal analysis and the likes use ideas of calculus. And in IB econ, and basic economics we use straight lines to simplify stuff, but in more formal settings, the lined are curved and you use calculus. Economics makes a lot of use of calculus. so yeah hehe