Agustin Torres | Economists lack logic? Blame the Math dept.

Not too long ago, I thought economics was about making money and getting rich. Now I know it's about using weird mathematical models to understand human behavior and perhaps try and predict what will happen, and then - says the joke- use some more of that math to explain why those predictions were wrong. Indeed, the "dismal science" has become very dependent upon mathematics .

At Penn, the current prerequisites for intermediate-level economics courses include the introductory Micro and Macroeconomics courses, in addition to Math 104 and 114 -- both calculus classes. This preparation is thorough: After going through these math courses, students are familiar with multivariable calculus, which is crucial for upper-level economics. However, none of these courses provides one essential component of both subjects - a rigorous grounding in mathematical proofs and logic.

Although the courses are rich in content, most of the statements are made either without proofs or with "intuitive," informal proofs. Exams rarely require students to hypothesize or prove statements. There is no coverage of basic logic, and so a lot of students are not familiar with the precise meaning of commonly used phrases such as "if and only if" or with the methods that are most commonly used to prove a statement .

Without grounding in these concepts, students miss out on basic knowledge:

In my economics class two weeks ago, visiting Economics professor Limor Golan ended a proof with the abbreviation "Q.E.D."

"What's 'Q.E.D.'?" a student asked.

It's an abbreviation of the Latin phrase "Quod erat demonstrandum," which means, "Which was to be demonstrated," a phrase sometimes used at the end of mathematical proofs.

Anyone with at least basic experience with proofs would know this. This example points to a lack of familiarity with proving statements. So if one doesn't know what "Q.E.D." means, one also probably doesn't know that "if and only if" is short for "If A, then B; if B, then A," or that assuming something is false and arguing toward a contradiction is one of the most common proof techniques.

If one doesn't, then we're in trouble - those concepts are everywhere in this course, along with precise definitions and statements. The problem is that there's no requirement to ensure that we aren't in trouble. Engineering students and math majors are probably more familiar with proof concepts than other students, simply because their subjects demand it, and, in a way, they have an unfair advantage .

While you could say that requiring yet more prerequisites for intermediate econ courses would discourage some students from taking them, this is not really a valid argument, unless you want to sacrifice quality over accessibility - a peculiar strategy for a top university. We need to strive for the best possible preparation for the primary individuals involved: econ majors.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Intermediate Microeconomic Theory relies heavily on mathematics, as anyone can see by looking at the lecture notes via MIT's online OpenCourseWare. Harvard University, in a similar way, offers two tracks of intermediate economics courses, one with a heavy mathematical content that requires multivariable calculus, differential equations and linear algebra intended for students with a solid math background.

"This level of math is what is needed at the very minimum, especially for grad school, but it's also not the be all and end all of all math courses," said Amna Malik, a sophomore majoring in mathematics and economics at Harvard.

Now, don't get me wrong. Penn's economics department is fantastic, and there really is more to economics than all those surreal equations. But undergraduate economics courses could be much more rich and insightful if a solid background in formal mathematics was assumed.

At the very least, it would certainly maximize my utility.

Agustin Torres is an Engineering sophomore from Monterrey, Mexico. His e-mail address is torres@dailypennsylvanian.com. The Monday Burrito appears on Mondays.

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