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Daniel l. Rubinfeld

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xii<br />

Contents<br />

Contents<br />

xiii<br />

7<br />

The Slopes of the Product Curve 183<br />

The AI'emge Product of Labor CurI'e 184<br />

The lvlargiilal Prodllct of Labor Curve 185<br />

The Law of Diminishil1g Nlarginal Retllms 185<br />

Labor Prodllctivity 188<br />

6.4 Production with Two Variable Inputs 191<br />

Diminishing Marginal Retllnls 191<br />

Sllbstitlltion Among Inpllts 192<br />

Prodllction FUl1ctions- Two Special Cases 194<br />

6.5 Returns to Scale 197<br />

Increasing Retllrns to Scnle 198<br />

Constant Returns to Scnle 198<br />

Decreasing Retums to Scnle 198<br />

Describing Returns to Scale 198<br />

Summary 201<br />

Questions for Review 201<br />

Exercises 202<br />

Cost of Production 203<br />

7.1 Measuring Cost: Which Costs Matter 203<br />

Ecol1omic Cost versus Accolll1ting Cost 204<br />

Opportllnity Cost 204<br />

Sllnk Costs 205<br />

Fixed Costs and Variable Costs 206<br />

Fixed I'ersus Sunk Costs 207<br />

7.2 Cost in the Short Rlm 208<br />

The Determil1al1ts of Short-Rlln Cost 210<br />

The Shapes of the Cost Cllrves 211<br />

7.3 Cost in the long Run 215<br />

The User Cost of Capital 215<br />

The Cost-Minimizing Inpllt Choice 216<br />

The Isocost Line 217<br />

Choosing Inputs 218<br />

Cost Minimization with Varying OUtpllt Levels 222<br />

The Expansion Path and Long-Run Costs 222<br />

7.4 long-Run versus Short-Run Cost Curves 224<br />

The Inflexibility of Short-RllI1 Production 224<br />

Long-Run AI'emge Cost 225<br />

Economies and Diseconomies of Scale 227<br />

The Relationship Between Short-Run and LOl1g-Rlln Cost 227<br />

7.5 Production ·with Two Outputs-Economies of Scope 229<br />

Product Trllllsformation Cllrves 230<br />

Economies and Diseconomies of Scope 231<br />

The Degree of Economies of Scope 231<br />

*7.6 Dynamic Changes in Costs-The learning Curve 232<br />

Gmphing the Leaming Cllrve 234<br />

Leanzing verSllS Economies of Scnle 234<br />

*7.7 Estimating and Predicting Cost 237<br />

Cost Fllnctions and the NleaSliremellt of Scale Ecollomies 239<br />

Summary 242<br />

Questions for Review 243<br />

Exercises 243<br />

Appendix to Chapter 1: Production and Cost Theory­<br />

A Mathematical Treahnent 246<br />

Cost lvlinimization 246<br />

Marginal Rate of Tecllllical Sllbstitution 247<br />

Duality in Production and Cost Theory 248<br />

The Cobb-Douglas Cost and Production Functions 248<br />

Exercises 250<br />

8<br />

8.1 Perfectly Competitive Markets 252<br />

When Is a Market Highly Competitive 253<br />

8.2 Profit Maximization 254<br />

Do Finl1s Nlaximize Profit 254<br />

8.3 Marginal Revenue, Marginal Cost, and Profit Maximization 255<br />

Demal1d IlIld Marginal Revenue for a CompetitiI'e Firm 256<br />

Profit Maximization by a Competitive Firm 257<br />

8.4 Choosing Output in the Short Run 258<br />

Short-RIIlI Profit Maximization by a Competitive Firm 258<br />

The Short-Rlln Profit of a Competitive Firm 259<br />

8.5 The Competitive Firm's Short-Rim Supply Curve 263<br />

The Firm's Response to 1lI1 Input Price Change 264<br />

8.6 TIle Short-Run Market Supply Curve 266<br />

Elasticity of Market Supply 266<br />

Prodllcer Surplus in the Short Rlln 269<br />

8.7 Choosing Output in the long Run 271<br />

Long-Rlln Profit Maximization 271<br />

Long-Run Competitive EquilibriulIl 272<br />

Economic ReI1t 275<br />

Producer Surplus in the Long Run 276<br />

8.8 The Industry'S long-Run Supply Curve 277<br />

Constallt-Cost Industry 277<br />

Increasing-Cost Industry 279<br />

Decreasing-Cost Industry 280<br />

The Effects of a Tax 280<br />

Long-Run Elasticity of Supply 281<br />

Summary 283<br />

Questions for Review 284<br />

Exercises 284<br />

9 The Analysis of Competitive Marl

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