Which one of the following statements about the static linear city model in topic 4 is correct? ( the topic 4 is explained in the images in attachments) A. The firms produce a homogeneous good and make decisons on quantities. B. The firms definitely produce a homogeneous good and make decisions on prices. C. The firms produce horizontally differentiated goods and make decisions on quantities. D. The firms produce horizontally differentiated goods and make decisions on prices

ENGR.ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
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Which one of the following statements about the static linear city model in topic 4 is correct? ( the topic 4 is explained in the images in attachments)

  A.

The firms produce a homogeneous good and make decisons on quantities.

  B.

The firms definitely produce a homogeneous good and make decisions on prices.

  C.

The firms produce horizontally differentiated goods and make decisions on quantities.

  D.

The firms produce horizontally differentiated goods and make decisions on prices.

1. Solution:
(a) First consider firm i's best response when firm j's price is too high
to provide any positive net surplus for any consumer, i.e., p; 2 5.
In this case firm i is a monopoly, and a marginal consumer who is
different between buying its product and not doing so is r units of
distance away, that 5-p;-tx = 0, giving rise to the demand function:
D; (p;) =
equals e, and entails the monopoly output: D; (p")=. When
§ >c+2t (which is satisfied given that 5> c+3t), D; (p") > 1, i.e.,
the market is covered.
Pi. The monopoly price p" maximises (p; – c) -Pi
Now consider firm i's best response when p; < 5. Suppose that the
market is not covered, then firm i must be a local monopoly; the
above analysis suggests that when s >c+ 2t it is not optimal for a
firm to leave any consumer in his (local) monopoly market unserved,
this gives rise to a contradiction. Hence, in firm i's best response,
the market must be covered.
(b) Equation: 5 – p1 – tx = 5 – p1 – t (1 – x) determines the location of
a marginal consumer who is indifferent between buying from either
shop, hence, the demands (if both firms have positive market shares):
D1 (p1, p2) = x = P2-Pi+t and D2 (p1, P2) = 1 – x = P1-P2+t.
Firm 1 maximises its profit: (pi – c) P²¬P1+, the FOC entails pi =
P2+c+t, which is the best reaction function for firm 1. Similarly, the
best reaction by firm 2 is p2 = Ptett. Given that P = > 0, we
2t
dp;
conclude that prices of the two firms are strategic complements.
(Extra: To ensure that the above reaction functions do not make
any firm react suboptimally, we need to impose a condition: pi 2
Pj – t, since pi = Pj – t already allows firm i to take over the
entire market and makes a lower price unnecessary and undesir-
able. Hence, Pi =
Pj+c+t
> Pj – t which entails p; < c + 3t.
Overall, given that s > c+ 3t, a firm's best response should be:
Pj <c+3t
if c+3t < Pj <5)
Pj > 5
Pi+c+t
2
if
R (p;) =
Pj – t
5 - t
if
(c) N.E.: pi = p = c+t, q† = q = and II = II; = .
2. The analysis is similar to the lecture note except that the transportation
cost takes a quadratic form. To locate the marginal consumers, use the
p-Pi+
equation: tx + Pi =
t ( - x) + p, which gives rise to x =
and the demand function: D¡ (pi,p) = 2x =
P-Pit Using the FOC
p-Pi+
for maximising (Pi – c) _2 and then imposing pi = p, the symmetric
Transcribed Image Text:1. Solution: (a) First consider firm i's best response when firm j's price is too high to provide any positive net surplus for any consumer, i.e., p; 2 5. In this case firm i is a monopoly, and a marginal consumer who is different between buying its product and not doing so is r units of distance away, that 5-p;-tx = 0, giving rise to the demand function: D; (p;) = equals e, and entails the monopoly output: D; (p")=. When § >c+2t (which is satisfied given that 5> c+3t), D; (p") > 1, i.e., the market is covered. Pi. The monopoly price p" maximises (p; – c) -Pi Now consider firm i's best response when p; < 5. Suppose that the market is not covered, then firm i must be a local monopoly; the above analysis suggests that when s >c+ 2t it is not optimal for a firm to leave any consumer in his (local) monopoly market unserved, this gives rise to a contradiction. Hence, in firm i's best response, the market must be covered. (b) Equation: 5 – p1 – tx = 5 – p1 – t (1 – x) determines the location of a marginal consumer who is indifferent between buying from either shop, hence, the demands (if both firms have positive market shares): D1 (p1, p2) = x = P2-Pi+t and D2 (p1, P2) = 1 – x = P1-P2+t. Firm 1 maximises its profit: (pi – c) P²¬P1+, the FOC entails pi = P2+c+t, which is the best reaction function for firm 1. Similarly, the best reaction by firm 2 is p2 = Ptett. Given that P = > 0, we 2t dp; conclude that prices of the two firms are strategic complements. (Extra: To ensure that the above reaction functions do not make any firm react suboptimally, we need to impose a condition: pi 2 Pj – t, since pi = Pj – t already allows firm i to take over the entire market and makes a lower price unnecessary and undesir- able. Hence, Pi = Pj+c+t > Pj – t which entails p; < c + 3t. Overall, given that s > c+ 3t, a firm's best response should be: Pj <c+3t if c+3t < Pj <5) Pj > 5 Pi+c+t 2 if R (p;) = Pj – t 5 - t if (c) N.E.: pi = p = c+t, q† = q = and II = II; = . 2. The analysis is similar to the lecture note except that the transportation cost takes a quadratic form. To locate the marginal consumers, use the p-Pi+ equation: tx + Pi = t ( - x) + p, which gives rise to x = and the demand function: D¡ (pi,p) = 2x = P-Pit Using the FOC p-Pi+ for maximising (Pi – c) _2 and then imposing pi = p, the symmetric
1. Consider a linear city model with unit length of the city and linear trans-
portation cost td, where d is consumer's distance to his selected shop. The
location of the two firms are at the two ends of the city.
(a) Show that when 5 > c+3t , a firm i's best response to any price of
its rival p; always results in all consumers purchasing from one of the
two firms (i.e., the market is covered).
(b) Derive both firms' best response functions, show that prices of the
two firms are strategic complements.
(c) Derive the Nash equilibrium prices and profits of the game.
2. Show that if transportation costs are td?, where d is consumer's distance to
his selected shop, Salop's circular city model yields p= c+t/n², and that
(t/f)/3 > n* = [t/ (6f)]³ (suppose 3 is sufficiently
|1/3
with free entry, n° =
high so that the market is covered in equilibrium).
3. Consider the linear city model in which the two firms may have different
positive constant unit costs ci < c2. The city has unit length and the
transportation cost is linear, i.e., td. Suppose s is sufficiently high so that
the market is covered in equilibrium.
(a) Determine the Nash equilibrium prices and sales levels for equilibria
in which both firms make strictly positive sales. How do local changes
in c1 affect the equilibrium prices and profits of firms 1 and 2?
(b) For what values of c1 and c2 does the equilibrium involve one firm
making no sales?
Transcribed Image Text:1. Consider a linear city model with unit length of the city and linear trans- portation cost td, where d is consumer's distance to his selected shop. The location of the two firms are at the two ends of the city. (a) Show that when 5 > c+3t , a firm i's best response to any price of its rival p; always results in all consumers purchasing from one of the two firms (i.e., the market is covered). (b) Derive both firms' best response functions, show that prices of the two firms are strategic complements. (c) Derive the Nash equilibrium prices and profits of the game. 2. Show that if transportation costs are td?, where d is consumer's distance to his selected shop, Salop's circular city model yields p= c+t/n², and that (t/f)/3 > n* = [t/ (6f)]³ (suppose 3 is sufficiently |1/3 with free entry, n° = high so that the market is covered in equilibrium). 3. Consider the linear city model in which the two firms may have different positive constant unit costs ci < c2. The city has unit length and the transportation cost is linear, i.e., td. Suppose s is sufficiently high so that the market is covered in equilibrium. (a) Determine the Nash equilibrium prices and sales levels for equilibria in which both firms make strictly positive sales. How do local changes in c1 affect the equilibrium prices and profits of firms 1 and 2? (b) For what values of c1 and c2 does the equilibrium involve one firm making no sales?
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