1ECONOMICS 1010a, Section 2: MICROECONOMIC THEORYDepartment of Economics, Harvard UniversityFall, 2008, MWF 10:00 – 11:00Laurence Ball Head Section Leaders:Visiting Professor of EconomicsOffice Hours: By appointment Bruce Chen: [email protected] (Issues related to section assignments only) Matt Ranson : [email protected] (Issues related to grade records only)Course Description: Economics 1010a presents an overview of microeconomic theory. Section 2 takes a less mathematical approach than Section 1. It also stresses applications of micro theory rather than technical foundations.Economics 1010a satisfies the microeconomic theory requirement of the Economics concentration.Course Prerequisites: Social Analysis 10 and Mathematics 1a, or equivalents.Class Meetings: Lectures are given MWF at 10 AM – 11 AM in Jefferson Lab, 250Section Meetings: In addition to lectures, the course involves weekly section meetings. Section assignments will be generated electronically using the Registrar’s sectioning system. Starting at5PM on Tuesday, Sept 16th and no later than 12 Noon on Saturday, Sept 20th, please register your time preferences electronically by logging on to the web site at www.registrar.fas.harvard.edu/section/using your Harvard ID number and last name. When you have finished, the computer should indicate that your preferences have been registered. You may submit your preferences as many times as you wish until noon on the 20th; only the most recent preferences will be used. Section assignments will be distributed by e-mail. Sections begin the week of September 22d.YOU MUST ENROLL IN A SECTION BY NOON ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 20th.IF YOU DO NOT ENROLL IN A SECTION, YOU WILL BE ASSIGNED RANDOMLY.ALL QUESTIONS ABOUT SECTIONS SHOULD GO TO THE HEAD TF FOR SECTIONS, Bruce Chen, [email protected] Requirements: Weekly problem sets (the first due 9/26), 3 hour exams, and a final exam. The problem sets will be graded. No problem set will be accepted late. The hour exams will be given in class on Friday, October 10th, 2008, Friday, November 7th, 2008, Friday, December 12th, 2008. The final exam will be a regularly-scheduled 3-hour exam. The registrar announces the final exam schedule in December.The first hour exam covers the first third of the course; the second hour exam covers the second third of the course, and third hour exam covers the final third of the course. The final exam covers the entire course.This course may not be taken pass/fail.Grading: The grading rubric is as follows:Problem Sets 20%First Hour Exam 10%Second Hour Exam 20%Third Hour Exam 20%Final Exam 30%Missed Exams: If extraordinary circumstances prevent you from taking an hour exam, this must be documented in writing by your Allston Burr Senior Tutor or Assistant Dean of Freshmen. There will be no make-ups; if you are excused from an exam, the other exams will be scaled up. An unexcused absence will count as a zero.Textbooks: The textbooks for the course areIntermediate Microeconomics, by Hal R. Varian, 7thEdition, Norton, 2006.Workouts in Intermediate Microeconomics, by Theodore Bergstrom and Hal R. VarianAdditional short readings may be assigned occasionally, and will be available on the course web page.The organization of the course will follow the textbook, but lectures will skip some topics in the book and cover some material that is not in the book. Exams will be based on the lectures and problem