If you have ever taken a graduate-level economics course, or even a rigorous upper-division undergraduate course, you have likely heard the whispered warning: “You need to know your math.”
Twenty years after its publication, no better textbook has replaced it for bridging the gap between "I know calculus" and "I can read Econometrica." mathematics for economists simon blume
First published in 1994, it is often affectionately called "the bible" by Ph.D. students. But is it still relevant in 2024? Absolutely. Here is why. This is not a remedial high school algebra book. Simon & Blume target a specific audience: students entering intermediate micro/macro theory or graduate school who already know calculus but don’t know how to prove a theorem or solve a dynamic optimization problem. If you have ever taken a graduate-level economics
The book that has served as the gatekeeper and the guide for decades is by Carl P. Simon and Lawrence Blume. Absolutely
Chapter 1 is easy. By Chapter 16 (The Implicit Function Theorem), you will be reading sentences three times. By Chapter 26 (Nonlinear Differential Equations), you will question your career choice.
Have you survived Simon & Blume? Drop a comment below with your favorite (or most hated) chapter.