Jonathan Weinstein
Jonathan Lewis Weinstein

MANAGERIAL ECONOMICS & DECISION SCIENCES
Associate Professor of Managerial Economics & Decision Sciences

Print Overview
Jonathan Weinstein is an Associate Professor of Managerial Economics and Decision Sciences. He joined the MEDS department at Kellogg in 2005 after completing a PhD in economics at MIT. His general areas of research are game theory, decision theory and microeconomic theory. Publications have concerned the impact of higher-order uncertainty on strategic interactions; and testing supposed experts who make probabilistic forecasts that may be strategically motivated.
  • Recent Media Coverage

    Economist Intelligence Unit: Executive Briefing: Expert or charlatan? A test to tell the difference between authentic experts and flimflam artists

    Huffington Post: Zombie Economics and Just Deserts: Why the Right Is Winning the Economic Debate

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Print Vita
Education
PhD, 2005, Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
BA, 1998, Mathematics, Harvard University

Academic Positions
Assistant Professor of Managerial Economics and Decision Sciences, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, 2006-present
Donald P. Jacobs Scholar in Managerial Economics and Decision Sciences, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, 2005-2006

 
Print Research
Research Interests
Game theory, higher-order uncertainty, microeconomic theory

Articles
Weinstein, Jonathan Lewis and Muhamet Yildiz. Forthcoming. Robust predictions in infinite-horizon games--An unrefinable folk theorem. Review of Economic Studies. (conditionally accepted)
Weinstein, Jonathan Lewis and Muhamet Yildiz. 2011. Sensitivity of equilibrium behavior to higher-order beliefs in nice games. Games and Economic Behavior. 72(1): 288-300.
Al-Najjar, NabilAlvaro Sandroni, Rann Smorodinsky and Jonathan Lewis Weinstein. 2010. Testing Theories with Learnable and Predictive Representations. Journal of Economic Theory. 145(6): 2203–2217.
Al-Najjar, Nabil and Jonathan Lewis Weinstein. 2009. The Ambiguity Aversion Literature: A Critical Assessment . Economics and Philosophy. 25: 249-284.
Ambrus, Attila and Jonathan Lewis Weinstein. 2008. Price Dispersion and Loss Leaders. Theoretical Economics. 3: 525-537.
Al-Najjar, Nabil and Jonathan Lewis Weinstein. 2008. Comparative Testing of Experts. Econometrica. 76(3): 541-559.
Weinstein, Jonathan Lewis and Muhamet Yildiz. 2007. A Structure Theorem for Rationalizability with Application to Robust Predictions of Refinements. Econometrica. 75(2): 365-400.
Weinstein, Jonathan Lewis and Muhamet Yildiz. 2007. Impact of Higher-Order Uncertainty. Games and Economic Behavior. 60(1): 200-212.
Working Papers
Weinstein, Jonathan Lewis and Muhamet Yildiz. 2012. A Structure Theorem for Rationalizability in Infinite-Horizon Games.
Weinstein, Jonathan Lewis. 2012. Provisional Beliefs and Paradigm Shifts.
Weinstein, Jonathan Lewis and Nabil Al-Najjar. 2012. A Bayesian Model of Risk and Uncertainty.

 
Print Teaching
Teaching Interests
Statistics, decision theory, microeconomic theory
Full-Time / Part-Time MBA
Statistical Methods For Management Decisions (DECS-434-0)

This course counts toward the following majors: Decision Sciences.

This sequel to DECS-433 extends the statistical techniques learned in that course to allow for the exploration of relationships between variables. Topics include one- and two-population hypothesis testing, correlation, simple and multiple regression analysis, and qualitative variables. The course also covers applications of the material and a number of case studies. Extensive use of spreadsheet statistical analysis software is required.

Turbo Decision Making and Statistics (DECS-445-0)
coming soon

Doctoral
Foundations of Managerial Economics I: Static Decision Models (MECS-460-1)
This course provides essential tools for those planning to create or apply economic theory. The course can be divided very broadly into feasibility, optimization, and fixed-point theory. More specifically, it covers linear programming, Kuhn-Tucker conditions, Brouwer and Kakutani fixed-point theorems, and supermodularity, while illustrating uses in finance, game theory, general equilibrium, and matching.

Foundations of Managerial Economics II: Dynamic Decision Models (MECS-460-2)
This course provides a rigorous introduction to dynamic optimization techniques used in discrete and continuous time stochastic optimization problems. Topics covered in the course include discrete time discounted dynamic programming, stochastic zero sum games, envelope theorems, multi-armed bandit problems, negative dynamic programming, optimal stopping, positive dynamic programming, optimal gambling strategies, bold and timid play, as well as, continuous time calculus of variations and optimal control.