Author: Robert Holt, PhD
Audience: Undergraduate business students
Abstract: The purpose of this course is to introduce the students to Excel and basic mathematical concepts such as averaging, forecasting, probability, and the time value of money
Chapter 1 is an Excel tutorial that begins with a basic discussion of cells and ends with a financial projection of an income statement.
Chapter 2 reviews basic business math, including basic algebra and introduces additional topics such as contribution margin and breakeven.
Chapter 3 discusses forecasting and introduces the reader to simple averages, moving averages and weighted averages.
Chapter 4 introduces probability concepts ranging from simple probability to probability distributions with a particular emphasis on the normal distribution. An appendix on sampling follows Chapter 4.
Chapter 5 introduces the concept of the time value of money, capital budgeting and bonds.
Chapter 6 covers the economic concepts of costs of production and profit maximization.