MATHEMATICS FOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND EVALUATION

The course aims to provide some tools that will allow you to become familiar with quantitative methods and their use in decision-making issues, including those related to cultural organisations. The course is mainly oriented to the description of theoretical and conceptual aspects.

The course allows students to acquire knowledge of quantitative methodologies and to apply these concepts to formulate and solve some decision problems under certainty, (with a possible mention to uncertainty and risk), together with financial project evaluation and simple optimization problems. First lessons will be devoted to pre-requirements, like elements of algebra. In the first part vectors and matrices will be introduced. Next some Decision Making problem will be considered, with particular attention to financial analysis. and aome methodologies capable of dealing with Decision Making problems. Qualitative description of DM and some model about. Introduction to Multi Criteria problems Knowledge and understanding of multi-objective problems and elements of optimization, in particular Linear Programming problems. Other optional arguments will be possibly considered, as networks, decision under uncertainty and risk.
Application of knowledge and understanding: be able to formulate and solve some decision making and optimization problems.

During the course it is assumed that students already know some mathematical subjects covered in secondary school courses, in particular the knowledge of elementary functions, properties their graphic representation; derivatives and optimization; knowledge of vectors and matrices

1. Introduction to Decision Making (DM).

2. Linear algebra; vector and matrices, solution of linear systems. Optional: eigenvalues and eigenvectors.

3. Linear programming with two variables

3. Elements of financial mathematics: simple and compound interest, annuities, Internal Rate of Return and Net Present Value (with application to cost-benefit analysis).

Other optional arguments be eventually considered, like decision theory under certainty (MCDA), uncertainty and risk, network optimization, basic of R language.

Slides and other material from the Teacher will be furnished during the lessons.

OTHER MATERIAL (for consultation):

Dowling Edward T., Introduction to Mathematica Economics, SCHAUM's OuTline, third edition, 2001 (free on line).

Cournejols G., Trick M., Quantitative Methods for the Management Sciences, Course Notes, Carnagie Mellon, Pittsburgh, 1999.

Forman E.H., Selly M.A., Decision by objectives (How to convince others that you are right)", World Scientific, 2001.

Decision Making, Giacomo Bonanno, http://faculty.econ.ucdavis.edu/faculty/bonanno/DM_Book.html (open access book)

The preparation is checked by means of a written proof, including exercises and description/discussion of some of the arguments introduced. Oral test will be optional.

The course is divided into 30 hours of frontal lessons in which theoretical concepts regarding the methodologies covered by the course are presented, as well as concrete applications to decision-making problems.

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Detailed information on the program and study materials will be communicated at the beginning of the course on e-learning page (www.moodle.unive.it).

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