IT Tools in Economics

The aim of the course is to familiarize participants with basic IT Tools useful in the everyday work of an economist. During classes organized in the form of computer labs, students acquire skills of using selected IT tools (advanced Excel, environment for statistical analysis R) and the ability to apply the appropriate analytical tool to solve a typical problem in the field of economic analysis. Prior to the course, participants are required to have basic knowledge in the field of computer science and mathematics (at the level of the first semester of the first year of study of linear algebra and mathematical analysis).

1) Introduction to performing economic calculations with the use of IT tools. Getting to know Excel: sorting and filtering data, relative and absolute addressing, creating and using calculation formulas.

2) Creating charts using Excel. Formatting spreadsheet cells.

3) Importing and exporting data from various sources (text files, data from the Internet, data from databases). Preparation of sheets for presentation and publishing.

4) Advanced Excel functions. Combining data sets, lookup functions, counting functions.

5) Analyzing the time series: graphical analysis of the series, growth rates calculations.

6) Fixed-base and chain indexes. Index conversion.

7) Basic operations on matrices, solving systems of equations. Pseudo-random numbers and simulations in Excel.

8) Introduction to R environment and RStudio editor - native environment and integrated development environment for R, code management, scripting and code editing, built-in functions.

9) Data types and types of objects in R, creating vectors, using functions that operate on vectors.

10) Operators for generating a sequence of values. Creating matrices, using functions that operate on matrices.

11) Data frames - working with data in the form of a two-dimensional table, indexing, selecting subsets of observations and calculating basic variable statistics.

12) Graphic functions, generating function graphs in a given range and editing the graph area.

13) Processing and data analysis in R, import and export of data in various formats, installation of packages useful in the analysis of various types of data.

14) Creating and defining functions in R, nesting functions, conditional operators and logical tests.

Elements of Excel and R help systems

Smart M., Learn Excel Essential Skills, The Smart Method Ltd 2016

Kusleika R., Walkenbach J., Alexander M., Excel Bible, Wiley 2018

Leemis L., Learning Base R. Lightning Source 2016

Venables W., Smith D., An Introduction to R, Notes on R: A Programming Environment for Data Analysis and Graphics, R Core Team 2019

After completing the course the student will be able to:

- Assess the possibility of using a specific mathematical method to solve a specific problem in the field of economics and finance;

- Choose an appropriate IT tool (Excel, R) for practical solution of a specific problem using a selected mathematical method and properly program this problem in the selected tool;

- Perform a series of operations in the selected IT tool that lead to the desired results;

- Analyze the obtained results, interpret their meaning and create a report on the performed analysis;

There will be two tests, one in the middle of the semester and second at the end of the semester.