• Demand Substitute: When price of X falls, Demand of Y falls
• Demand Complement: Price of X falls, the demand for Y increases o Printer and ink
• Shifting of the DEMAND and SUPPLY curve o Shift of the Supply Curve: When the cost of production changes.
• Better technology, change of input costs
• With a price increase, if the supply goes down it is likely coming from a supply shock
• Estimating Demand curves: Looks at historical data, data from similar products (break it down to components), randomized experiments, Consumer Surveys, Secondary (resale) market, actions).
• Consumer Surplus: Of those customers who bought the item, the difference between what the total group was willing to pay verse what the group of consumers actually ended up paying.
• Price ceilings and floors o Price Ceiling example: Rent Control (this creates an excess of demand) o Price Floor example: Minimum wage (this creates an excess supply)
• Price Discrimination: Charging different prices to different customers or charging different prices to an individual for each unit that the customer purchases. (ASSUMPTION: Very difficult for consumer to resell the product)
• To be successful, the firms must have monopoly pricing power. o Perfect Price Discrimination
• 1st degree: Where each consumer will pay max amount they are willing to pay. o If every consumer is charged exactly her willingness to pay for each incremental unit.
• i.e. Secondary markets, street vendors, fin aid, actions o Imperfect Price Discrimination: Occurs when there are groups of consumers that have different demand curves for a good on average.
• 3rd degree (You don’t have to worry about people changing): A situation where a company sells to different verifiable groups of people, where the two groups have different demand for the good.
• Differentiating between locals and non-locals, students, senior citizens, etc.
• MR(group A)=MR (group B) when there is a constant MC
• Example: MC=0, Q(S)=200-4P; Q(NS)=200-2P; Q(TOTAL)=Q(S)+Q(NS)=400-6P=Market demand curve o If a monopolist can’t charge different prices, solve for monopoly via market demand curve. o If