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U
U=U(x, y)
U(A)
Y
U(B)
X
Consumption Opportunities: The Budget
Constraint
• Assume that an individual has I dollars to
allocate between good x and good y
pxx + pyy M
y
x
M
px
The Budget Constraint
• y
M px
x
py py
x
M
px
Maximizing Utility
• Keep buying x until the MB(x) = MC(x)
• Interaction of…
MB, MC Not an indifference curve!
MC
MB
X
X*
At “A”, MRS>Px/Py (MB > MC), At “B”, MRS<Px/Py, (MB < MC)
You are willing to pay more than Utility and consumer surplus
you have to, consumer surplus can be increased by consuming
increases.
A less x.
Py = 5
x
Intuition
• At “C”, the MB = MC for the last unit of both goods
consumed.
• That is, at “C”, MRS = px/py, or
y U x px
U y py
Ux Uy
A px p y
C
U1
B U0
x
Optimization
• Unconstrained optimization is a lot easier to
solve than constrained optimization.
– Substitution: maximize the cross section of U
along the budget line
– Lagrange method
Substitution
• This turns the constrained
optimization into an
unconstrained problem.
U
• Find the equation for the
cross section of the U=U(x,y)
y above the budget line and
maximize it -- i.e. find the top
of the parabola
y*
x*
x
Substitution
• Substitute and maximize
U x y; M=p x x+p y y
And substitute
M p Mx px x 1
Ux x x again
p
y py py py
dU Mx 1
1 px x
0
M
M=p x +p y y
dx py py 1 px
Mx 1 1 px x M
py y M
py py 1
x Mp y M 1 M
py y
x 1 1 px p y 1
M M
x y
1 px 1 p y
Problem with this method
• It can get very mathematically complicated
very quickly.
• Even U=xαyβ gets very tricky to solve.
LaGrange Method
• LaGrange knew that unconstrained
optimization (like profit max) is relatively
simple compared to constrained optimization.
• Taking what he knew unconstrained
optimization he attempted to simplify the
constrained maximization problem by making
it mimic the unconstrained problem.
Unconstrained Optimization Example
max v f ( x, y ) g ( x, y )
FOC
v x f x ( x, y ) g x ( x, y ) 0 f x g x
v y f y ( x, y ) g y ( x, y ) 0 f y g y
Maximizing v f ( x, y ) g ( x, y ) means
fx gx
fy gy
Expenditure = E = pxx
max v f ( x) g ( x)
slope = Ex= px max v U ( x) px x
Problems: x* x
• Ux not measured in $ like E.
• E is not constrained, we can spend as much as we like.
Maximizing Utility - Expenditure
• First change the expenditure function by multiplying px by λ. Now
call that function EU.
U
U=U(x)
slope = Ux
EU=λpxx
Slope = EUx= λpx
max v U ( x) E ( x)
U
max v U ( x) px x
x* x
EUx= λ2 px
EUx = λ3 px
x* x* x* x
• Now the slope of the expenditure function and expenditure are
measured in utils, not dollars. But we are not constraining x yet.
LaGrange Method
• So first subtract λM from the expenditure function to get
EL = λpxx - λM
U
U=U(x)
slope = Ux
EU = λpxx
EL = λpxx - λM
x*
slope = ELx= λpx x
-λM
LaGrange Method
• We know we want to find the x* such that that distance between
U(x) and EL(x*) = U(x*). That is, where EL(x*) = 0
• So we maximize v = U(x) - 0
• Substitute λpxx – λM = 0 in for 0, to constrain x* to our budget.
U U=U(x)
slope = Ux
max L U ( x) E L ( x)
max L U ( x) ( px x M )
U=U(x*)-0
EL = λpxx - λM
0
x* slope =
x
ELx= λ px
-λI
LaGrange Method
• Our optimization becomes an unconstrained problem by including
the requirement that λpxx = λM.
• λ is chosen along with x to maximize utility so that λ = the marginal
utility of $1. That is, λpx = Ux.
U U=U(x)
slope = Ux
max L U ( x) ( px x M )
U=U(x*)-0
EL = λ(pxx – M)
0
x* slope = ELx= λ px
x
-λM
LaGrange Method
max L U ( x) ( px x I ) or, equivalently
max L U ( x) ( I px x)
FOC
Lx : U x px 0
L : I px x 0
L x is the condition that f x g x when we
maximize v f ( x) - g ( x)
L ensures that the solution satisfies px x I ,
i.e. that L( x*) U ( x*)
Two Goods: Lagrange’s Manufactured
Plane
• To maximize utility, maximize the
U U = U(x,y) height of the utility function
above the plane
EL = λpxx + λpyy – λM
• Such that
y
λpxx + λpyy – λM = 0
When
x = 0 and ELy= λ py
y = 0,
U = - λM
LaGrange Plane
ELx= λ px EL=g(x,y)
EL= λpxx+ λpyy- λM
g’x=ELx= λ px
g’y=ELy= λ py
x
Lagrange Method
U
U = U(x,y)
max v U ( x, y ) 0, such that 0 = ( px x p y y M )
max L U ( x, y ) ( p x x p y y M )
y max L U ( x, y ) ( M p x x p y y )
UL=g(x,y) = 0
x λ(pxx+pyy – M) = 0
Basic Demand Analysis
• Using Lagrangian to generate ordinary
(Marshallian) demand curves.
– FOCs necessary
– SOCs sufficient (check that they hold)
– Ordinary (Marshallian) demand curves
– Inverse demand curves
– Meaning of λ
– Indirect Utility
– Expenditure Function
– Comparative Statics General Results
Demand Functions using Lagrange’s Method
• Set up and maximize:
L (x, y) U(x, y) (M p x x p y y)
FOC: necessary conditions for a maximum
L x U x p x 0 U x p x λ* chosen so that the constraint plane is
parallel to the utility function.
L y U y p y 0 U y p y
L M p x x p y y 0 M p x x p y y
Solve to get two interesting results
Any x* and y* that maximizes utility
Ux px will also have to exhaust income.
, tangency condition
Uy py
Ux Uy
, bang for the buck the same for last unit
px py
FOCs for an Optimum
• For utility to be maximized, it is necessary that the
indifference curve is tangent to the budget constraint (as
above). U x px
Uy py
• But it is not sufficient, we also need a diminishing MRS.
FOCs satisfied
x x x
SOCs for an Optimum
• Sufficient condition for a maximum to exist
– If the MRS is non-increasing (utility function quasi concave) for all x, that is
sufficient for a maximum to exist – but it may not be unique.
– If the MRS is diminishing (utility function strictly quasi concave) for all x, that is
sufficient for a unique maximum to exist. Need this to satisfy second order
conditions for maximization.
x x x
Expenditure Minimization: SOC
• The FOC ensure that the optimal consumption
bundle is at a tangency.
• The SOC ensure that the tangency is a minimum, and
not a maximum by ensuring that away from the
tangency, along the budget line, utility falls.
Y U*>U’
U=U*
U=U’
X
Checking SOC:
utility function strictly quasi-concave
• The second order conditions will hold if the utility
function is strictly quasi-concave
– A function is strictly quasi-concave if its bordered
Hessian is negative definite. That is:
0 Ux Uy
0 Ux
H 0 and H U x U xx U xy 0
U x U xx
U y U yx U yy
• Solve for M:
M * E px , p y ,U
• This equation determines the expenditure
needed to generate Ū, the expenditure function:
E * E px , p y ,U
Digression: Envelope Theorem
• Say we know that y = f(x; ω)
– We find y is maximized at x* = x(ω)
• So we know that y* = y(x*=x(ω),ω)).
dy*
• Now say we want to find out d
* * * *
dy dy dy dx
*
d d dx d
M M M M
And as we are at a maximum, the FOC get us:
L* x * y* * L*
0 0 0
*
*
M M M M M
U
As L=U (because M - p x x - p y y 0), (p x , p y , M)
M
In other words, when income rises by $1, you gain $1 worth of utility.
U*
Optimization: Envelope Result p x
* x*
p x p x p x p x p x p x
L* x *
y *
*
U x * p x U y *p y * x * M p x x * p y y*
p x p x p x p x
And as we are at a maximum, the FOC get us:
L* x* y* * * * L*
0 0 x 0 * x
p x p x p x p x p x
U x L* U* U
As L=U and as , x , means that x x(p x , p y ,M)
p x p x p x px
In other words, when the price of x rises by $1, you lose $1 worth of utility for every x bought.
Optimization: Comparative Statics
• If we have a specified utility function and we
derive the equations for the demand
functions, the comparative statics are easy.
– Take the derivatives to calculate the changes in x
and y when prices or income change.
• However, what if all we know is U = U(x, y) and
we feel safe only assuming:
Ux > 0 Uy > 0 Uxx < 0 Uyy < 0
• Can we get anything from that?
Optimization: Comparative Statics
• Start with:
L (x, y) U(x, y) (M p x x p y y)
FOC: necessary conditions for a maximum
L x U x (x, y) p x 0
L y U y (x, y) p y 0
L M p x x p y y 0
And the equations for utility maximizing x, y,
x* x(p x , p y , M)
y* y(p x , p y , M)
* (p x , p y , M)
Comparative Statics:
Utility Maximizing x*, y*, λ*
Substitute equations for x*, y* and * into the FOC
(1) U x x(p x , p y , M), y(p x , p y , M) (p x , p y , M)p x 0
(2) U y x(p x , p y , M), y(p x , p y , M) (p x , p y , M)p y 0
(3) M p x x(p x , p y , M) p y y(p x , p y , M) 0
Whatever happens to prices or income, consumption
will adjust to maximize utility.
Comparative Statics: Effect of a change in M
Differentiate (1), (2), (3) w.r.t. M
x y
U xx U xy px 0
M M M
x y
U yx U yy py 0
M M M
x y Side note:
1 px py 0
M M x y
px py 1
Rearrange M M
x y Tells us that if income
0 px py 1
M M M increases by $1, so will
x y total expenditure.
p x U xx U xy 0
M M M
x y
p y U yx U yy 0
M M M
Comparative Statics: Effect of a change in M
Put in Matrix Notation
x
• Solve for M
0 p x p y M 1
x
p x U xx U xy • 0
M
p y U yx U yy y 0
M
Assuming H 2p x p y U xy p 2x U yy p 2y U xx 0
0 1 p y
p x 0 U xy
?
x p y 0 U yy p y U xy p x U yy
0
M H ()
X could be either normal or inferior.
Comparative Statics: Effect of a change in I
Put in Matrix Notation
¶y
• Solve for ¶M
0 p x p y M 1
x
p x U xx U xy • 0
M
p y U yx U yy y 0
M
Assuming H 2p x p y U xy p 2x U yy p 2y U xx 0
0 p x 1
p x U xx 0
?
y p y U yx 0 p x U yx p y U xx
0
M H ()
Y could be either normal or inferior.
Comparative Statics: Effect of a change in px
Differentiate (1), (2), (3) w.r.t. px
x y
U xx U xy px 0
p x p x p x
x y
U yx U yy py 0
p x p x p x
x y
p x x py 0
p x p x
Rearrange
x y
0 p x p y x
p x p x p x
x y
p x U xx U xy
p x p x p x
x y
p y U yx U yy 0
p x p x p x
Comparative Statics: Effect of a change in px
Put in Matrix Notation
x
• Solve for
p x
0 p x p y p x
x
x
p x U xx U xy
p x
p y U yx U yy 0
y
p x
Assuming H 2p x p y U xy p 2x U yy p 2y U xx 0
0 x p y
p x U xy
?
x p y 0 U yy x U xy p y x p x U yy p y 2
0
p x H ( )
X could be giffen.
Comparative Statics: Effect of a change in px
Put in
¶y
Matrix Notation… AGAIN
• Solve for ¶ px
0 p x p y p x
x
x
p x U xx U xy
p x
p y U yx U yy 0
y
p x
Assuming H 2p x p y U xy p 2x U yy p 2y U xx 0
0 p x x
p x U xx
?
y p y U yx 0 p x p y x p x U yx x p y U xx
0
p x H ( )
X and y could be compliments or substitutes.
Comparative Statics:
Preview of income and substitution effects
?
2
p y x p y U xy p x yy
U
x x U xy p y x p x U yy p y 2
p x () ()
Rearrange
?
these ? p x p y x p x U yx p y U xx
y p x p y x p x U yx x p y U xx
p x () ()
? ?
Sub in x p y U xy p x U yy y p x U yx p y U xx
0; 0
these M () I ()
? ?
x y
Income p y 2 x p x p y x
x M ; y M
effect
matters p x () p x ()
Specific Utility Functions
• Cobb-Douglas
• CES
• Perfect Compliments
Cobb-Douglas: Utility Max
• Problem:
U(x, y) x y , s.t. M-p x x-p y y
• Set up the LaGrangian
L=x y + (M-p x x-p y y)
• FOC
L x : x 1 y p x 0 U x x 1 y
L y : x y 1
p y 0 U y x y1
x 1 y y
L : M-p x x-p y y=0 MRS 1
x y x
Cobb-Douglas: Demand
• FOC Imply, to maximize utility, these must hold.
yp y xp x
x ; y
p x p y
( )V
( )V
M
E
px py px py
CES: Utility Max
• Problem:
U(x, y) x y , s.t. M - p x x - p y y
• Set up the Lagrangian
L x y (M - p x x - p y y)
• FOC 1
x
L x : x 1
p x 0 MRS
y
L y : y 1 p y 0 1
px x
L : M - p x x - p y y 0
py y
CES: Demand
• FOC Imply
1 1
1 1
p x y 1 p y x 1
x y
p
;
p
y x
px y 1 p y p x 1
p x p
y
CES: Expenditure Function
• Solve for M, then rename E.
M M
V
p y 1
p px 1
px 1 1
px y py
1 1
V 2M
p y 1
p px 1
px 1 1
px y py
CES: Expenditure Function (cont)
• Solve for M, then rename E.
V
M
1 1
2
p y 1
p px
1
px
1
y 1
x p p
y
1
E
V
1
2 1 1
p y 1 p x 1
px p 1
p y p 1
x y
Perfect Compliments: Utility Max
• Problem:
U(x, y) min(x, y), s.t. M-p x x-p y y
• No Lagrangian, just exhaust income such that:
x
y
• So plug this condition into the budget equation
– Essentially, we substitute the expansion path into the
budget line equation.
Perfect Compliments: Demand
• Demand equations
x
y M=p x x+p y
M=p x +p y y
M= p x +p y y M= p x + p y x
M M
y x
p x +p y px + py
Perfect Compliments: Indirect Utility
M M
V(p x , p y , M) min ,
p x +p y p x +p y
• Since utility from x = utility from y at utility
max:
M M
V(p x , p y , M) or V(px , p y , M)
p x +p y p x +p y
Perfect Compliments: Expenditure Function
667
M 2M H
h* ; y* 333 667
3p x 3p y
Public Housing
Y ph=$1
px=$1
M=$1,000
Qualified citizens get 667
housing units for 1/3 of income ($333)
V
E 1 2
1 2
3 3 667
3p
x y 3p
1 2
h y 3 3
U
E
1 2
H
1 2
3 3
333 667
3 3
Public Housing: Money Metric Utility
V Y ph=$1
E 1 2 px=$1
1 2 3 3
M=$1,000
Qualified citizens get 667
3p x 3p y housing units for 1/3 of income ($333)
1 2
h y 3 3
U
E
1 2
1 2
3 3 667
UEPH=1,261
3 3 UE=1,000
H
333 667
The extra housing has a value to the poor of $261. Depending on the cost to the
government of providing the housing, the program can be evaluated.
Homogeneity
• If all prices and income were doubled, the
optimal quantities demanded will not change
– the budget constraint is unchanged
X
• At “B”, the tangency condition holds where x* < 0. Given the
budget line, the optimal feasible x is where x = 0 and MRS <
px/py
Corner Solution
• To develop these conditions as part of a
Lagrangian equation, we add non-negativity
constraints: (we could add if we wanted to
be really thorough).
• Lagrangian:
Ls 2s 0
Corner Solutions
• Kuhn-Tucker Condition
Ls 2s 0
L x U x p x 0
L y U y p y 0
Ux px
Uy py
X
• The usual assumption is that the optimal
px
bundle will be where x>0, y>0 and MRS
py
Corner Solutions
If s = 0 and μ = 0
Y
L x U x p x 0
A L y U y p y 0
Ux px
Uy py
X
px
• At “A”, MRS , but the optimal quantity of x = 0
py
Corner Solutions
If s = 0 and μ > 0
L x U x p x 0
Y
L y U y p y 0
Ux px
Uy py
Ux Ux px
MRS
Uy Uy py
B
B’
px
MRS , at B
py
X
• At B’, the tangency condition holds where x* < 0.
px
• The optimum is where x=0 and MRS
p y
Kuhn-Tucker Example
• Utility: U=xy+20y, M = 40, px = $4 and py = 1.
L xy 20y (40 4x y)
L x : y 4; L y : x 20
L : 40 4x y
y
Gets 4x 80 y, x 20
4
Solve x 5, y 60
Oops.
Looks Like
• Tangency where x=-5, y=60
Y
y
MRS = 4
x 20
X
How about a feasible optimum?
• Tangency where x=-5, y=60
Y 60 px 4
MRS =
5 20 p y 1
40
MRS = 2 px 4
0 20 Slope =
py 1
X
Kuhn-Tucker Set-up
• Utility: U=xy+20y, M = 40, px = $4 and py = 1
L xy 20y (40 4x y) (x s 2 )
L x : y 4 0
L y : x 20 0
L : 40 4x y 0
L : x s 2 0
Ls : 2s 0 Kuhn-Tucker Condition
Kuhn-Tucker Result
Kuhn-Tucker: 2s 0, so or s or both = 0
y px
Use L x and L y :
x 20 p y
y px
If μ=0, optimum is a tangency where
x 20 p y
If s 0, optimal x 0.
Y
At optimum:
px y y
MRS =
p y x 20 x 20
p x 40 40 40
MRS =
py 20 20
px y y
4 MRS = 2
p y x 20 x 20
X
Solving Kuhn-Tucker
• If you find that the optimal bundle is not on the
budget constraint, check all corners for a
maximum utility.
Lump Sum Tax
• Taxing a good vs taxing income
– Tax on x only
px x py y M
M p
which is y= - x x
py py
x * and y * are optimal bundles so
p x x * p y y* M , and R* = x *
Y
M
py
y*
x *
py
yτ *
M M
X
px x*
slope px px
py
Lump Sum Tax
• Difference in the budget lines: income tax
Without a tax,
M px x *
y*
py py
With an income tax R*= x *
M x * p x x *
y*R
py py py
M p x x * M x * p x x *
At any x*, y*-y *
R
py py p
y p y p y
x *
y*-y
*
R
py
Lump Sum Principle
• Tax paid = x*τ. Alternatively, an income tax of that same
amount would shift the budget line so that the consumer can
just afford the same bundle they chose under the tax on x.
Y
M
py
x *
py
M x *
py x *
py
y*
M M
X
M x *
x* px px
px
Lump Sum Principle
• When
U xy.5
2M M
x ; y
3p x 3p y
• Utility is:
.5
2M M
V(p x , p y , M) 126.49
3p x 3p y
Lump Sum Principle
• With a $1 tax on x,
2M M
x 20; y 10
3 p x 1 3p y
• Utility is:
.5
2M M
V V(p x , p y , M)
*
63.24
3 p x 1 Px 3p y
• Utility is:
.5
2(M 20) M 20
V V(p x , p y , M)
*
68.85
3Px 3Py
p x 0.25p y 4p x p y
• Utility is:
M M
V(p x , p y , M) Min ,4 40
p x 0.25p y 4p p
x y
The Lump Sum Principle: Perfect Compliments
• With a $1 tax on x,
M y
* M
6
x
*
24
(p x 1) 0.25p y 4(p x 1) p y
• Utility is:
M M
V(p x , p y , I) Min ,4 24
(p x 1) 0.25p y 4(p 1) p
x y
The Lump Sum Principle: Perfect Compliments
• With a $24 income tax,
M - 24 M - 24
x
*
24 y
*
6
p x 0.25p y 4p x p y
• Utility is:
M - 24 M - 24
V(p x , p y , M) Min ,4 24
p x 0.25p y 4p p
x y
Milk
Pb=3; Pm=1
MRS=3
MRS=3
MRS=3
Butter
Marginal Rate of Transformation
(a.k.a Rate of Product Transformation)
MRS=3
MRT=3
Social Indifference curve
Butter
Marginal Rate of Transformation
• With a more realistic PPF, the MRT rises as
more butter and less milk is produced.
Cb q m
MRT
Cm q b
Milk Assuming competative firms producing b and m
Cb p b
MRT=3 MRT
Cm p m
Cb Cm
or , marginal cost p the same at
pb pm
the margin for all goods.
Butter
MRS=MRT
• In the long run (π=0), the cost of producing
butter must be 3 times the cost of producing
milk. That is, the tradeoffs in consumption =
the tradeoff in production
Milk
Cb pb U b
MRT MRS
Cm pm U m
px/py=3
Butter
Back to Varian’s treatment
• A new technology that allows you to produce
butter with 4 gallons of milk is not going to be
a winner as everyone would choose the
cheaper butter previously offered.
Milk
MRT=4
Pb=4; Pm=1
Butter
• However, a new technology that allows you to
produce 1 pound of butter with 2 gallons of
milk IS going to be a winner!
Milk
MRS=MRT=2
Pb=2; Pm=1
Butter
MRS=MRT
• Here is what improved butter making
technology does with a more standard PPF.
Milk
px/py=2
px/py=3
Butter