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Chapter V - Quan Nguyen
Chapter V - Quan Nguyen
CONTENT
*Theory on production
- Production and Production function
- Short run &Long run
- Economies and diseconomies of scale
*Theory on cost
- Total, average and marginal cost
- Economic, Accounting and Sunk cost
*Theory on profit
- Profit
- Total, average and marginal revenue
- Profit maximization and revenue maximization
1 Copyright © 2014 by Quan Hong NGUYEN
I. Theory on Production
1. Some definitions
-Production: is the process that transforms inputs into
outputs, i.e. goods and services, to satisfy human wants.
PRODUCTION
INPUTS OUTPUTS
K L Goods Services
(Capital) (Labour) (Tangible) (Intangible)
Q = a Kα Lβ,
where:
Q = output
L = labor input
K = capital input
α, β = labour and capital's share of output.
Q
APL
L
Q
MPL
L
11 Copyright © 2014 by Quan Hong NGUYEN
I. Theory on Production
3. Short-run production
If production function is continuous, the we have
MPL Q(L
)
Q max when MPL = 0
MPL measures the slope of the output curve.
4 1 70
4 2 150
4 3 75
4 4 288
} 52
4 5
4 6
}
10
4 7 52
Capital Labour Output APL MPL
(K) (L) (Q)
4 0 0 0 -
}
70
4 1 70 70
}
4 2 150 75 80
}
4 3 225 75 75
}
63
4 4 288 72
}
52
4 5 340 68
}
4 6 354 59 14
}
4 7 364 52 10
Marginal Product & Average Product
When marginal product is greater than the average
product, the average product is increasing
When marginal product is less than the average product,
the average product is decreasing
When marginal product is zero, total product (output) is
at its maximum
Marginal product crosses average product at its maximum
19
Marginal Product & Average Product
Q Q ' L Q
APL
L
2
L
Q Q
L MPL APL 0
L L
2. Cost in short-run
2.1. Fixed cost, variable cost, total cost
- Fixed cost (FC): the cost of a fixed input, independent
with the output level C
FC
FC
Q
23 Copyright © 2014 by Quan Hong NGUYEN
II. Production cost
2. Cost in short-run
2.1. Fixed cost, variable cost, total cost
- Variable cost (VC): the cost of a variable input, varies
with the output level.
C
VC
Q
24 Copyright © 2014 by Quan Hong NGUYEN
II. Production cost
2. Cost in short-run C
2.1. Fixed cost, variable cost,
total cost
TC
- Total cost (TC): is the
sum of total fixed cost and
VC
total variable cost
FC FC
TC = VC + FC
=> The vertical distance
between total cost curve
and variable cost curve
remains constant. Q
2. Cost in short-run C
Q
II. Production cost
2. Cost in short-run
C
2.2. Average cost
- Average variable cost
(AVC): is total variable cost
per unit of output
AVC
Relationship between AVC and
APL
VC wL w w
AVC
Q Q (Q/L) APL
2. Cost in short-run
C
2.2. Average cost
- Average total cost
(ATC): is total cost per ATC
unit of output
AVC
TC
ATC AFC AVC
Q AFC
Note: Average curves
(except AFC) is are U-
shaped Q
II. Production cost
2. Cost in short-run
2.2. Average cost C ATC
Marginal cost (MC): is the
MC
change in total cost results
from a unit increase in AVC
ATCmin
output
TC
MC TC '(Q ) VC '(Q )
Q
AVCmin
Q
II. Production cost
VC wL w w
MC
Q Q (Q/L) MPL
MPL first rises and then falls
MC first declines and then goes up
MC curve is U- shaped
II. Production cost
Relationship between MC and AVC
MC > AVC : AVC
MC < AVC : AVC
MC = AVC : AVC min
Relationship between MC and ATC
MC > ATC : ATC
MC < ATC : ATC
MC = ATC : ATC min
=> MC intersects AVC and ATC at their minimum
points
II. Production cost
TR
AR
Q
III. Profit maximization
TR
MR
Q
III. Profit maximization
P
P = aQ + b
b TR = PQ = aQ2 + bQ
MR = 2aQ +b
E = -1
0 -b/2a -b/a Q
MR
III. Profit maximization
Total revenue is the integral of marginal revenue.
Therefore the whole area below the marginal
curve yields the value of total revenue
Q0 Q0
MRdQ TR TRQ0
0 0
MR
III. Profit maximization