MA318      Half Unit
History of Mathematics in Finance and Economics

This information is for the 2018/19 session.

Teacher responsible

Prof Jan van den Heuvel

Additional teachers: Prof June Barrow-Green, Prof Norman Biggs and Prof Robin Wilson

Availability

This course is available on the BSc in Actuarial Science, BSc in Business Mathematics and Statistics, BSc in Mathematics and Economics, BSc in Mathematics with Economics, BSc in Mathematics, Statistics, and Business and BSc in Statistics with Finance. This course is available as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit. This course is available with permission to General Course students.

Pre-requisites

Students must have completed Mathematical Methods (MA100).

General Course students may substitute an equivalent course.

Course content

This course surveys the development of mathematics from the beginning of history with an emphasis on its applications to finance and economics. Major themes are the development of arithmetic and geometry, the use of algebraic symbolism, the creation of the calculus, geometry, probability, and game theory. In order to give this course a distinctive flavour, we will illustrate these themes with examples taken from the social sciences, broadly interpreted. For example, the algorithms of arithmetic will be illustrated by their applications in finance, rather than astronomy.

Teaching

20 hours of lectures and 10 hours of classes in the LT.

Formative coursework

Students are expected to submit written work on a weekly basis. One of these assignments will be a short essay of 900-1100 words.

Indicative reading

The course is based on source material which will be distributed to students as hard copy. J. Stedall’s ‘History of Mathematics: A Very Short Introduction’ (Oxford 2011) is recommended for background reading.

Assessment

Exam (70%, duration: 2 hours, reading time: 5 minutes) in the summer exam period.
Essay (30%, 1650 words).

The assessed essay is due for submission at the start of the Summer Term.

Key facts

Department: Mathematics

Total students 2017/18: 17

Average class size 2017/18: 17

Capped 2017/18: Yes (30)

Value: Half Unit

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