This course is not available as an outside option to students on other programmes. This course uses controlled access as part of the course selection process. For information on controlled access courses, including eligibility, application processes, deadlines, and departmental contact details, please refer to the Controlled Access Courses webpage.

New course for the 2027/28 academic session.

How to apply: This course is intended for MSc Econometrics and Mathematical Economics students. Any external student must have successfully completed EC451 in September and have approval of the Department of Economics.

Deadline for application: Please apply as soon as possible after the opening of course selection for all courses.

For queries contact: Econ.msc@lse.ac.uk

Students on other programmes must get permission from the course conveners to take this course. 

Pre-requisites:

Students must have completed EC451 before taking this course.

Additional requisites:

EC451 takes place prior to the start of Autumn Term, please contact econ.msc@lse.ac.uk for more information.

The aim of this course is to: (i) introduce and develop the analytical tools of graduate level Microeconomics with a special emphasis on mathematical models; (ii) provide the students with a firm grounding in classical Microeconomic Theory as well as its modern development.

In Autumn term, topics are likely to include: Games of complete information (zero-sum and supermodular games, rationalizability, games of incomplete information (Bayesian Nash Equilibrium and its refinements, with application to signalling games); correlated equilibrium, equilibrium refinements, Nash + Rubinstein bargaining, repeated games, oligopoly), general equilibrium (existence + uniqueness, welfare theorems, core equivalence, Walrasian bargaining, jungle equilibrium).

20 hours of lectures and 9 hours of seminars in the Autumn Term.

This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Autumn Term.

Problem sets will be discussed in class and two assignments will be marked and feedback provided. 

The main texts are:

• Osborne and Rubinstein, A Course in Game Theory, The MIT Press,
• Mas-Colell, Whinston & Green, Microeconomic Theory, OUP, and,
• A Rubinstein, Lecture Notes in Economic Theory, Princeton University Press (with the most up-to-date version available for free download from the author's website).

Other sources include:

• Fudenberg and Tirole, Game Theory, MIT Press.

Exam (85%), duration: 120 minutes, reading time: 15 minutes in the January exam period.

Continuous assessment (15%).

This course is IRDAP-enabled, meaning that resit and deferred assessments will take place in August at the end of the academic year.