Production requires inputs — factors of production — for example, labour and capital equipment. A production set is the set of outputs feasible given a particular combination of inputs. The production function

Consumer surplus is a measure of how much money a consumer would need to be given, in order to be just willing to give up their entire consumption of a particular good. Consumer surplus is approximately the area behind the demand curve. The change in consumer surplus following aprice change is illustrated in the second graph

There is another way to decompose the price effect. For simplicity consider a consumer with fixed income m. The Hicks decomposition involves pivoting the budget line around the initial indifference curve rather than the initial bundle. The diagram below illustrates for a price decrease in good 1

Suppose the consumer’s income were to increase. Optimal choice changes. How?

The last lecture investigated which bundle of goods the consumer prefers. However, goods cost money and the consumer cannot afford to buy indefinite amounts of each good

Consumers make choices over bundles of goods. Consumer theory models the way in which these choices are made. A good is simply a product — such as apples or bananas. A good may be specified in terms of time — such as

There are two countries, Home (H) and Foreign (F). There are two goods, units of wine (Qw) and cheese (Qc). Suppose there is one factor of production, labour, which is available in amounts L and L

All the models considered so far have one thing in common. There is no uncertainty. This is a very restrictive assumption. Often in economic situations there is less than perfect information. Both production and consumption often involve unknown variables that affect the profits and utility of the agents

A consumption externality is a situation where a consumer cares directly about another agent’s consumption or production of a particular good. An externality can be positive or negative: 1. Negative: Loud mobile phone use in public places. 2. Positive: Pipe smoking in enclosed public places

In the last lecture two concepts were introduced: Pareto efficiency and general equilibrium. How do they relate? Theorem: The first welfare theorem states that every general equilibrium involves a Pareto efficient llocation