Econ 243 Class 05 of Sept 21, 2015
Algebra: Our basis linear model
• assume complications away!
= if fixed costs don’t affect decisions on the margin, assume FC = 0
= assume demand is linear [since we typically observe a modest range of prices & quantities in the real world, that’s often innocuous]
» computers = empirical work however often finds using logged variables convenient.
= assume MC = c constant [horizontal]
→ all this gives us a simple graphical framework and simple algebra
• algebra
→ figuring out profit-maximizing output, quantity, profits to facilitate comparisons among strategic decisions
→ figuring out links to demand elasticities to tie to real-world data and decisions
• p = a – bq leads to
→ MR = a – 2bq [same “p” intercept, twice as steep so intersects midpoint of q-axis]
→ p = (a+c)/2
→ q = (a-c)/2b
→ π = (a-c)2/4b
• elasticities: needed for empirical work (including antitrust cases but also corporate pricing and marketing strategies)
= demand is inelastic below the midpoint (0 at the intercept with the “q”- axis)
» firms never want to be in that region: higher “p” raises total revenue, lowers costs [q falls so cq falls while fixed costs remain fixed] and hence raises total profits
= so we only care about the upper part of the curve
= MR = d(pQ)/dQ = p + Q dp/dQ [chain rule].
» p falls when Q rises so the second term is always negative: MR is always less than p
= MR = p (1 + Q/p dp/dQ) or p(1 + dp/p / dQ/Q) and dp/p / dQ/Q = – 1/|ε|
» the sign change is because by convention we (and the Martin text) use | ε | though a computer will calculate it as negative. this practice was to make life easier for typesetters and readers. it no longer makes sense; live with it.
→ hence MR = p (1 – 1/ε)
— and clearly negative marginal revenue is bad ←→ we only consider cases of elastic demand ε > 1.
= this also leads to a simple formula for the price-cost margin (in percentage terms):
→ (p-c)/p = 1/ε so when demand is highly elastic (our wheat farmer) the margin is close to zero, while as we move down the demand curve [draw!!] margins rise in percentage terms towards 100% [no, but in many businesses a gross margin of 60% is not unusual, though it is often offset by high fixed or sunk costs]
• LOOK THROUGH THE GRAPHS IN THE BOOK TO MAKE SURE YOU FOLLOW THEM.