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I am currently taking a class in linear algebra at university as an additional elective. The course is generic and followed by students from various disciplines so it is not focused on economics.

We covered the topics of binary vectors and modular arithmetic and our teacher said that these topics will not be a large part of a test and maybe none so I am considering just ignoring them. But, at the same time, I do not want to ignore topics that might later be important when I enter grad school.

Could someone please let me know if binary vectors and modular arithmetic play any significant role in economic studies?

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    $\begingroup$ I’m an outsider with an interest in some areas of economics, and have not seen it used anywhere. My training is in applied mathematics, and I’d be surprised if they show up. In any event, I think your priority is to focus on getting the best grade possible on the course. Different people have different tendencies, and you have to decide whether the topics are too much of a distraction for you. If you find you cannot cover these topics, what do they represent - an hour or so of lectures? You could cover that easily when the time comes. $\endgroup$
    – Brian Romanchuk
    Commented Oct 17, 2020 at 1:37
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    $\begingroup$ I'd say you are almost surely not going to need modular arithmetic for the typical courses in an economics graduate program. However, if you do research in say, algorithmic game theory, then you may find the tool handy. But like Brian R. says, it's not something that you can't learn in a relatively short amount of time. $\endgroup$
    – Herr K.
    Commented Oct 17, 2020 at 5:56

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