Inverse elasticity rule
Use the first-order condition (Equation 15.2 ) for a Cournot firm to show that the usual inverse elasticity rule from Chapter 11 holds under Cournot competition (where the elasticity is associated with an individual firm's residual demand, the demand left after all rivals sell their output on the market). Manipulate Equation 15.2 in a different way to obtain an equivalent version of the inverse elasticity rule:
where
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Check out a sample textbook solution- The Potomac Range Corporation manufactures a line of microwave ovens costing $500 each. Its sales have averaged about 6,000 units per month during the past year. In August, Potomacs closest competitor, Spring City Stove Works, cut its price for a closely competitive model from $600 to $450. Potomac noticed that its sales volume declined to 4,500 units per month after Spring City announced its price cut. What is the arc cross elasticity of demand between Potomacs oven and the competitive Spring City model? Would you say that these two firms are very dose competitors? What other factors could have influenced the observed relationship? If Potomac knows that the arc price elasticity of demand for its ovens is 3.0, what price would Potomac have to charge to sell the same number of units it did before the Spring City price cut?arrow_forwardThe Dolan Corporation, a maker of small engines, determines that in 2012 the demand curve for its product is P = 2,000 - 50Q where P is the price (in dollars) of an engine and Q is the number of engines sold per month. a. To sell 20 engines per month, what price would Dolan have to charge? b. If managers set a price of $500, how many engines will Dolan sell per month? c. What is the price elasticity of demand if price equals $500? d. At what price, if any, will the demand for Dolan’s engines be of unitary elasticity? Only typed answer and don't use chat gptarrow_forwardAs a manager of a chain of movie theaters that are monopolies in their respective markets, you have noticed much higher demand on weekends than during the week. You therefore conducted a study that has revealed two different demand curves at your movie theaters. On weekends, the inverse demand function is P = 20 − 0.001Q; on weekdays, it is P = 15 − 0.002Q. You acquire legal rights from movie producers to show their films at a cost of $25,000 per movie, plus a $2.50 “royalty” for each moviegoer entering your theaters (the average moviegoer in your market watches a movie only once). Devise a pricing strategy to maximize your firm’s profits.arrow_forward
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- Smyth Industries operated as a monopolist for the past several years, earning annual profits amounting to $50 million, which it could have maintained if Jones Incorporated did not enter the market. The result of this increased competition is lower prices and lower profits; Smyth Industries now earns $10 million annually. The managers of Smyth Industries are trying to devise a plan to drive Jones Incorporated out of the market so Smyth can regain its monopoly position (and profit). One of Smyth's managers suggests pricing its product 50 percent below marginal cost for exactly one year. The estimated impact of such a move is a loss of $1 billion. Ignoring antitrust concerns, compute the present value of Smyth Industries' profits if it could have remained a monopoly when the interest rate was 5 percent. Multiple Choice $210 million $200 million $1.05 billion $100 millionarrow_forwardThe own price elasticity of demand is the most important determinant of pricing strategy by a firm. A firm can charge a high price for its product and earn higher revenue if the demand for its product is relatively inelastic. In other words, demand inelasticity and market power go hand in hand. What strategies should a firm adopt to make the demand for its product inelastic? Explain.arrow_forwardIntel is the world’s largest manufacture of semiconductor chips by revenue. During the 1990s, Intel became the dominant supplier of microprocessors for PCs and was known for aggressive and anti-competitive tactics in defense of its market position. Consider the market for Intel’s Pentium II processor, released in May 1997. Assume Pentium II enjoyed a monopoly in computer processors. Intel’s cost of production is characterized by function C = 10Q2, marginal cost MC = 20Q, while the market demand for the product is P = 400 − 10Q. Calculate Intel’s profit-maximizing quantity for its Pentium II processor. How much would Intel price its Pentium IIs?arrow_forward
- The two major producers in the beer industry, Anheuser-Bush (Firm 1) and Grupo Modelo (Firm 2) are about to enter the Chilean market as imported beers (Bud Light and Corona Light). A detailed market research analysis indicate that an approximate market demand structure for this product is P = 26.3 – 2Q (price per liter), where Q = Q1 + Q2 (in millions of liters per month). The firms’ cost structures are: TC1 = 6 + 2.5Q1 and TC2 = 8 + 1.8Q2. Instructions: Use no decimals. Use the average cost to calculate monopoly profits. Do not round if values are used to complete other calculations. Complete the following table. Q1 Q2 P Profits F1 Profits F2 F2 cheats w/ QDC, F1 colludes F2 cheats w/ QBRF, F1 colludesarrow_forwardSuppose Medic Inc. has a patent for a new pill called Relieve, which alleviates Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) and is approved to sell its products in two separate markets – USA and Canada. The inverse demand function in USA is given by PU = 24 - QU and the inverse demand function in Canada is given by PC = 12 - 0.5QC. Therefore the total revenue function for USA is given by TRU = 24QU - QU2 and the total revenue function for Canada is given by TRC = 12QC - 0.5QC2 . Relive is sold in strip of 10 pills and the marginal cost of producing each strip is $6.00. PU = Price in USA in US dollars; PC = Price in Canada in US dollars; QU = Quantity sold in USA; QC = Quantity sold in Canada. What will be the profit from the US market? a. $72.00 b. $45.00 c. $81.00 d. $0.00arrow_forwardYou are the owner of a local Honda dealership. Unlike other dealerships in the area, you take pride in your “no-haggle” sales policy. Last year, your dealership earned record profits of $1.5 million. In your market, you compete against two other dealers, and the market-level price elasticity of demand for midsized Honda automobiles is −1.3. In each of the last five years, your dealership has sold more midsized automobiles than any other Honda dealership in the nation. This entitled your dealership to an additional 30 percent off the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) in each year. Taking this into account, your marginal cost of a midsized automobile is $12,000. What price should you charge for a midsized automobile if you expect to maintain your record profits?arrow_forward
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