Course Instructor - Spring 2015
Econ 483 - Social and Economic Networks
Social networks impact a wide variety of decisions that individuals make every day - what to buy, which language to speak, what to study in university and how much education to obtain, for example. Social networks are also one of the central determinants of how information about jobs, services, innovations, news and other opportunities diffuse in our societies. Because of the essential role that network structure plays in our social and economic lives, it is important to understand what kinds of social structures emerge in different situations and how they impact individual behaviors and outcomes. After an overview of game theory, we will study how to describe and measure networks and examine models of network formation, including random and strategic networks. The rest of the course will be devoted to studying how networks impact behavior, such as diffusion, learning, peer effects, public goods and the games played on networks.
Grading
There will be a mid-term exam and a cumulative final exam.
- Quiz 5%
- Midterm exam 35%
- Final exam 40%
- Class presentation (from selected original papers) 20%. The schedule of presentation can be found here: PDF
Only if a student misses the midterm for documented medical reasons will the weight of that exam be transferred to the final. I highly encourage class participation.
Required Text
Social and Economic Networks, Matthew O. Jackson, Princeton University Press, 2010.Topics: Outline
- Overview of Game Theory
- Backgrounds and fundamentals of Network Analysis
- Why Model Networks?
- Representing and Measuring Networks
- Models of Network Formation
- Random Graphs
- Strategic Network Formation
- Implications of Network Structure
- Diffusion Through Networks
- Learning and Networks
- Behaviors and Games on Networks
- Empirical Background on Social Networks
- Observing and Measuring Social Interactions
In addition, I will recommend a number of selected original papers to read on the topics we discuss. I will also make occasional use of online resources. Finally, there will be slides available on the course web site.