Consider the classic consumer's choice problem of an individual who is allocating Y dollars of wealth amongst two goods. Let c, denote the amount of good 1 that the ndividual would like to consume at a price of P per unit and c2 denote the amount of good 2 that the individual would like to consume at a price of P2 per unit. The ndividual's utility is defined over the consumption of these two goods (only). Suppose we allow the individual's happiness to be measured by a utility function u(Cı, c2) which s increasing and strictly concave in both goods while also satisfying the Inada condition, Limcı→0 du(c1,c2) limcı→0 du(c1,c2) = 0. The Inada conditions simply say that the slope of the utility function becomes vertical n the direction of the good that has its consumption level go to zero. By assuming ncreasing and strictly concave utility in both directions, we are assuming that the shape
Consider the classic consumer's choice problem of an individual who is allocating Y dollars of wealth amongst two goods. Let c, denote the amount of good 1 that the ndividual would like to consume at a price of P per unit and c2 denote the amount of good 2 that the individual would like to consume at a price of P2 per unit. The ndividual's utility is defined over the consumption of these two goods (only). Suppose we allow the individual's happiness to be measured by a utility function u(Cı, c2) which s increasing and strictly concave in both goods while also satisfying the Inada condition, Limcı→0 du(c1,c2) limcı→0 du(c1,c2) = 0. The Inada conditions simply say that the slope of the utility function becomes vertical n the direction of the good that has its consumption level go to zero. By assuming ncreasing and strictly concave utility in both directions, we are assuming that the shape
Chapter1: Making Economics Decisions
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Transcribed Image Text:Consider the classic consumer's choice problem of an individual who is allocating
Y dollars of wealth amongst two goods. Let c1 denote the amount of good 1 that the
individual would like to consume at a price of Pı per unit and c2 denote the amount
of good 2 that the individual would like to consume at a price of P2 per unit. The
individual's utility is defined over the consumption of these two goods (only). Suppose
we allow the individual's happiness to be measured by a utility function u(c1, c2) which
is increasing and strictly concave in both goods while also satisfying the Inada condition,
limcı→0
du(c1,c2)
= limc1→0
du(c1,c2)
dc2
= 0.
The Inada conditions simply say that the slope of the utility function becomes vertical
in the direction of the good that has its consumption level go to zero. By assuming
increasing and strictly concave utility in both directions, we are assuming that the shape
of the utility function is such that, holding constant the amount of one good, as the
individual consumes more of the other good, they are happier but each additional unit
of consumption yields less extra happiness than the previous unit (diminishing marginal
utility of consumption). These assumptions imply that the first-order partial derivative
of the utility function with respect to good one, u1(C1, C2)
du(c1,c2) and good two,
aci
du(c1,c2)
u2(C1, C2)
U1(C1, C2) remains positive but gets smaller. Similarly, holding c constant, if
U2(C1, C2) remains positive but gets smaller.
Ci increases,
increases,
exist and are positive. Moreover, holding C2 constant,
if
dc2
C2

Transcribed Image Text:1. Let the budget constraint faced by the individual be PiC1 + P2c2 =Y. In words,
interpret the meaning of the mathematical budget constraint.
2. The individual's problem is to choose the consumption bundle (cı, c2) optimally.
Specifically,
max {u(с1, С2)}
C1,C2
subject to (cı, c2) satisfying the budget constraint, Pic1 + P2c2 = Y. Using the
Method of Lagrange, let A be the Lagrange multiplier on the budget constraint.
The the Lagrangean function can be written as
L(c1, C2, A) = u(c1, c2) + A (Y – P.c1 – P,c2).
-
Take the first order-derivative of the Lagrangean function with respect to c1, c2 and
A. Set each of them equal to zero in order provide the equations that can be used
to identify the Lagrangean function's "critical points".
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