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Microeconomics A

Microeconomics A. Anna Kukla-Gryz E-mail: akukla @wne.uw.edu . pl. Requirements for passing the course. Passing the course, two elements: 1st element: exam (70 % of the total points ) 2nd element: grade from tutorials (30 % of the total points ). To pass you need:

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Microeconomics A

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  1. Microeconomics A Anna Kukla-Gryz E-mail: akukla@wne.uw.edu.pl

  2. Requirements for passing the course • Passing the course, two elements: • 1st element: exam (70 % of the total points) • 2nd element: grade from tutorials (30 % of the total points). To pass you need: • at least 50 % of the total pointsfrom the exam AND • at least 50 % of the total points from tutorials

  3. Final test • The examwill be heldon the exam period, • The exam – multiplechoice test (five answers proposed to each question, only one is correct). • The test must be passed with a positive result (at least 50% of the total points). • It will be organized only once. Absence at the final test (on the required date) results in failing the course.

  4. Exam Retake • In the retake exam period (in March) there will be only one final test organized, taking the same form as the normal final test. • All participants of the course are allowed to take the retake test, regardless of the result from the first approach. • Taking the retake exam cancels the result obtained from the first approach.

  5. Other rules • All tests are organized according to the rules of "Zero tolerance for cheating". • There are no other possibilities (neither new dates nor rules) for passing the course.

  6. Grades

  7. Readings • Varian H. R., Intermediate Microeconomics: A Modern Approach, W. W. Norton & Co Ltd., New York, London, 2006 • Bergstrom T. C., Varian, H. R., Workouts in Intermediate Microeconomics, W. W. Norton & Co Ltd., New York, London, 2006 http://www.microeconomics.wne.uw.edu.pl/index.php?n=Main.A

  8. Mathematics • Sydsaeter, K. P., Hammond, A., Essential Mathematics for Economic Analysis, Prentice Hall, 2008 • Sydsaeter, K. P., Hammond, A., Seierstad, A., Strom., A., Further Mathematics for Economic Analysis, Prentice Hall, 2008

  9. Introduction • What are the key themes of microeconomics? • Why study microeconomics? Chapter 1

  10. Themes of Microeconomics • Microeconomics deals with limits • Limited budgets • Limited time • Limited ability to produce • How do we allocate scarce resources? Chapter 1

  11. Themes of Microeconomics • Workers, firms and consumers must make trade-offs • Do I work or go on vacation? • Do I purchase a new car or save my money? • Do we hire more workers or buy new machinery? • How are these trade-offs best made? Chapter 1

  12. Themes of Microeconomics • Prices • Trade-offs are often based on prices faced by consumers and producers • Workers make decisions based on prices for labor – wages • Firms make decisions based on wages and prices for inputs and on prices for the goods they produce Chapter 1

  13. Themes of Microeconomics • Prices • How are prices determined? • Centrally planned economies – governments control prices • Market economies – prices determined by interaction of market participants • Markets – collection of buyers and sellers whose interaction determines the prices of goods Chapter 1

  14. Theories and Models • Economics is concerned with explanation of observed phenomena • Theories are used to explain observed phenomena in terms of a set of basic rules and assumptions: • The Theory of the Firm • The Theory of Consumer Behavior Chapter 1

  15. Budgetary and Other Constraints on Choice Source:Hal R. Varian

  16. Consumption Choice Sets • A consumption choice set is the collection of all consumption choices available to the consumer. • What constrains consumption choice? • Budgetary, time and other resource limitations.

  17. Budget Constraints • A consumption bundle containing x1 units of commodity 1, x2 units of commodity 2 and so on up to xn units of commodity n is denoted by the vector (x1, x2, … , xn). • Commodity prices are p1, p2, … , pn.

  18. Budget Constraints • Q: When is a consumption bundle (x1, … , xn) affordable at given prices p1, … , pn?

  19. Budget Constraints • Q: When is a bundle (x1, … , xn) affordable at prices p1, … , pn? • A: When p1x1 + … + pnxn£mwhere m is the consumer’s (disposable) income.

  20. Budget Constraints • The bundles that are only just affordable form the consumer’s budget constraint. This is the set{ (x1,…,xn) | x1 ³ 0, …, xn³ 0 and p1x1 + … + pnxn=m }.

  21. Budget Constraints • The consumer’s budget set is the set of all affordable bundles;B(p1, … , pn, m) ={ (x1, … , xn) | x1³ 0, … , xn³ 0 and p1x1 + … + pnxn£m } • The budget constraint is the upper boundary of the budget set.

  22. Budget Set and Constraint for Two Commodities x2 Budget constraint is p1x1 + p2x2 = m. m /p2 x1 m /p1

  23. Budget Set and Constraint for Two Commodities x2 Budget constraint is p1x1 + p2x2 = m. m /p2 x1 m /p1

  24. Budget Set and Constraint for Two Commodities x2 Budget constraint is p1x1 + p2x2 = m. m /p2 Just affordable x1 m /p1

  25. Budget Set and Constraint for Two Commodities x2 Budget constraint is p1x1 + p2x2 = m. m /p2 Not affordable Just affordable x1 m /p1

  26. Budget Set and Constraint for Two Commodities x2 Budget constraint is p1x1 + p2x2 = m. m /p2 Not affordable Just affordable Affordable x1 m /p1

  27. Budget Set and Constraint for Two Commodities x2 Budget constraint is p1x1 + p2x2 = m. m /p2 the collection of all affordable bundles. Budget Set x1 m /p1

  28. Budget Set and Constraint for Two Commodities x2 p1x1 + p2x2 = m is x2 = -(p1/p2)x1 + m/p2 so slope is -p1/p2. m /p2 Budget Set x1 m /p1

  29. Budget Constraints • If n = 3 what do the budget constraint and the budget set look like?

  30. Budget Constraint for Three Commodities x2 p1x1 + p2x2 + p3x3 = m m /p2 m /p3 x3 m /p1 x1

  31. Budget Set for Three Commodities x2 { (x1,x2,x3) | x1³ 0, x2 ³ 0, x3³0 and p1x1 + p2x2 + p3x3£m} m /p2 m /p3 x3 m /p1 x1

  32. Budget Constraints • For n = 2 and x1 on the horizontal axis, the constraint’s slope is -p1/p2. What does it mean?

  33. Budget Constraints • For n = 2 and x1 on the horizontal axis, the constraint’s slope is -p1/p2. What does it mean? • Increasing x1 by 1 must reduce x2 by p1/p2.

  34. Budget Constraints x2 Slope is -p1/p2 -p1/p2 +1 x1

  35. Budget Constraints x2 Opp. cost of an extra unit of commodity 1 is p1/p2 units foregone of commodity 2. -p1/p2 +1 x1

  36. Budget Constraints x2 Opp. cost of an extra unit of commodity 1 is p1/p2 units foregone of commodity 2. And the opp. cost of an extra unit of commodity 2 is p2/p1 units foregone of commodity 1. +1 -p2/p1 x1

  37. Budget Sets & Constraints; Income and Price Changes • The budget constraint and budget set depend upon prices and income. What happens as prices or income change?

  38. How do the budget set and budget constraint change as income m increases? x2 Original budget set x1

  39. Higher income gives more choice x2 New affordable consumptionchoices Original and new budget constraints are parallel (same slope). Original budget set x1

  40. How do the budget set and budget constraint change as income m decreases? x2 Original budget set x1

  41. How do the budget set and budget constraint change as income m decreases? x2 Consumption bundles that are no longer affordable. Old and new constraints are parallel. New, smaller budget set x1

  42. Budget Constraints - Income Changes • Increases in income m shift the constraint outward in a parallel manner, thereby enlarging the budget set and improving choice.

  43. Budget Constraints - Income Changes • Increases in income m shift the constraint outward in a parallel manner, thereby enlarging the budget set and improving choice. • Decreases in income m shift the constraint inward in a parallel manner, thereby shrinking the budget set and reducing choice.

  44. Budget Constraints - Income Changes • No original choice is lost and new choices are added when income increases, so higher income cannot make a consumer worse off. • An income decrease may (typically will) make the consumer worse off.

  45. Budget Constraints - Price Changes • What happens if just one price decreases? • Suppose p1 decreases.

  46. How do the budget set and budget constraint change as p1decreases from p1’ to p1”? x2 m/p2 -p1’/p2 Original budget set m/p1’ x1 m/p1”

  47. How do the budget set and budget constraint change as p1decreases from p1’ to p1”? x2 m/p2 New affordable choices -p1’/p2 Original budget set m/p1’ x1 m/p1”

  48. How do the budget set and budget constraint change as p1decreases from p1’ to p1”? x2 m/p2 New affordable choices Budget constraint pivots; slope flattens from -p1’/p2 to -p1”/p2 -p1’/p2 Original budget set -p1”/p2 m/p1’ x1 m/p1”

  49. Budget Constraints - Price Changes • Reducing the price of one commodity pivots the constraint outward. No old choice is lost and new choices are added, so reducing one price cannot make the consumer worse off.

  50. Budget Constraints - Price Changes • Similarly, increasing one price pivots the constraint inwards, reduces choice and may (typically will) make the consumer worse off.

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