Microeconomics: Costs, Market Structures, and Game Theory

Chapter 12 — Cost of Production

Cost Definitions and Key Formulas

Total Cost (TC) = Fixed Cost (FC) + Variable Cost (VC).

Marginal Cost (MC) = ΔTC / ΔQ or ΔVC / ΔQ.

Average Fixed Cost (AFC) = Fixed cost / Quantity.

Average Variable Cost (AVC) = Variable cost / Quantity.

Average Total Cost (ATC) = Total cost / Quantity = AFC + AVC.

Profit Concepts

Accounting profit = Total revenue − Explicit costs.

Economic profit = Total revenue − Explicit costs − Implicit costs. (Economic profit = Accounting

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Market Structures: Monopoly and Competition Analysis

Monopoly Market Structure: Key Concepts

  • What is *not* a barrier to entry in a monopolized market?

    Answer: A single firm is very large.

  • Definition of a Natural Monopoly

    A firm whose average total cost continually declines at least to the quantity that could supply the entire market is known as a natural monopoly.

  • Marginal Revenue for a Monopolist

    When a monopolist produces an additional unit, the marginal revenue generated by that unit must be below the price because the price effect outweighs the output

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Key Concepts in Microeconomics: Consumer Theory and Market Welfare

Four Properties

1.
Higher indifference curves are preferred to lower ones.
2. Indifference curves cannot cross
3. Indifference curves are downward sloping.
4. Indifference curves are bowed inward –convexity-

Tangency Condition


MRS = P1 / P2 ​

Consumer’s Optimal Choice


MU1 / MU2 = P1 / P2 ​

Proportionality Rule


MU1 / P1 = MU2 / P2 ​

Perfect Substitutes:


Indifference curves are straight lines. Optimal choice is at one extreme (all of one good).

Perfect Complements:


Indifference curves are L-shaped.

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Understanding Market Elasticity: Demand, Supply, and Income Effects

Elasticity: Definition and Concepts

Elasticity measures the percentage change in quantity demanded or supplied in response to percentage variations in other dependent variables (such as price or income). When analyzing supply and demand curves, elasticity is present at each and every point. A curve is said to have constant elasticity if the value remains the same across all points.

Price Elasticity of Demand (PED)

The Price Elasticity of Demand (PED) measures the percentage variation in quantity demanded

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Behavioral Economics: Biases, Prospect Theory, Utility

Session 1:    orthodox neo clsscl: based of rational choice, may not consider people deviate from this model ≠ Behavioral eco: behaviors deviates in systematic and predictable ways (irrational) ealry neo classlc: hedonic psych maximize pleasure minimize pain post-war neo:
refernces to unobservable mental states were unscientifc, they focused on choices of individudals that “mirrored preferences” / Methodo of Behavioral eco: laboratory experiments/field expirements/ process measures (brain scans&

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Production, Cost, Revenue, and Profit Maximization Concepts

Production and Cost Analysis

Short-Run Production Concepts

Total (Physical) Product (TPP)

  • Definition: The total amount of output obtained from a given amount of input.
  • Graph: Vertical axis: Units of Output; Horizontal axis: Units of Input.

Average (Physical) Product (APP)

  • Definition: The amount of output obtained per unit of input.
  • Formula: Output / Input (APP = TPP / Input).
  • Graph: Vertical axis: Average Product; Horizontal axis: Units of Input.

Marginal (Physical) Product (MPP)

  • Definition: The additional
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