Macroeconomic Theory, Econ. 511b, Spring 1999

Faculty:

Updated 6/16/99.  Newest items are in red.

Course List Signup:  This list will be used to inform the class of changes in meeting times, errors in problems sets, when graded problem sets or new notes have been made available, etc.  It is important that you fill out the form if you are taking the course for credit.  You should have received an email giving you the password.  If not send email to Chris Sims.

Answers to Question 3 (and the question) from the Spring 1999 macro comp exam (pdf file, 56k)

Answers to two  questions from the two 1998 macro comp exams (pdf file, 45k) (corrected version posted 5/1/99)

This Year's Reading List (46KB pdf, for printing)(html, for quick web viewing)

Last Year's Reading List

Previous Year's Course Materials

Viewers for pdf and ps files.


Summary notes on solving linear rational expectations models via Jordan Decomposition (pdf file, 102k)

Answers to the final exam:  All 6 questions (pdf file, 135k).  Just numbers 2, 4, and 5 (pdf file, 110k).
If you have already picked up the printed answers to 1, 3 and 6, you might want to download only the smaller of these files.

The final exam itself: (pdf file, 122k).
Common errors on the final exam: (pdf file, 87k)



FTPL exercise, due 4/22.(pdf file, 45k)
    FTPL exercise answer.  Posted 4/30.  (pdf file, 132k)


Reading list for lectures on 4/20 and 4/22. (html file)


Notes on New ISLM and exercise due 4/15 (pdf file, 82k)
Using gensys (pdf file, 25k)


The midterm exams have been graded. You may pick up your blue books and an answer sheet from Diane Bowman in 28 Hillhouse. The mean score was 47.1 and the standard deviation of the scores was 11.8. The CDF of the scores is available from Ms. Bowman and is posted outside Sims' office and Hall's office. Grading will be discussed briefly in class on Thursday.

Answers to mid-term exam: (pdf file, 68k)  This is the same answer sheet that was handed out earlier in printed form.  It may not look readable on your screen, but it will print out cleanly.  Answers to 2 and 3 that are more readable on the screen are posted separately:  (pdf file, 51k)


Answer to Exercise Due 2/24 or 3/2. (pdf file) Updated 4/14 to fix some typos.

Notes on decentralization via asset markets, including an exercise due 2/24 or 3/2. (pdf file, 130k)
The exercise will be graded by 3/2 if handed in by 2/24 and will be discussed in section 2/24.

The exercise on search is available here. It is due in class on 2/18.

Two Matlab programs that solve the optimal growth model will be discussed in class on 2/4/99. These programs are det_dp.m and stoch_dp.m.

Answer to Exercise Due 1/28, plus notes on simplified transversality conditions(pdf file, 68k)
Though the general TVC in the "Random Lagrange Multipliers" notes covers a wide range of non-standard models, it is complicated to check and hard to remember.  By restricting the range of models considered, we can simplify it.

Dynamic Programming Notes (pdf file, 72k) (MS Word 6.0 file, 580k)
Dynamic Programming Crib Sheet:  Lists theorems and FOC's from the Notes in compact form (pdf file, 42k)

Examples of Dynamic Models and Random Lagrange Multipliers plus Exercise due 1/28(pdf file, 180k) (ps file, 195k)
    Though this exercise is posted regrettably late, it is still due Thursday 1/28.

Notes on Random Lagrange Multipliers (pdf file, 106k) (ps file, 250k)

Answers for Exercise due 1/21 (pdf file, 90k)
Exercise on linear rational expectations models,due 1/21