An Introduction to Classical Econometric Theory

Book excerpt: In An Introduction to Classical Econometric Theory Paul A. Ruud shows the practical value of an intuitive approach to econometrics. Students learn not only why but how things work. Through geometry, seemingly distinct ideas are presented as the result of one common principle, making econometrics more than mere recipes or special tricks. In doing this, the author relies on such concepts as the linear vector space, orthogonality, and distance. Parts I and II introduce the ordinary least squares fitting method and the classical linear regression model, separately rather than simultaneously as in other texts. Part III contains generalizations of the classical linear regression model and Part IV develops the latent variable models that distinguish econometrics from statistics. To motivate formal results in a chapter, the author begins with substantive empirical examples. Main results are followed by illustrative special cases; technical proofs appear toward the end of each chapter. Intended for a graduate audience, An Introduction to Classical Econometric Theory fills the gap between introductory and more advanced texts. It is the most conceptually complete text for graduate econometrics courses and will play a vital role in graduate instruction.