5 Important Applications of Indifference Curves – Explained!

Budget
The technique of indifference curves has assumed special significance because of its application in almost every sphere of economic activity. A few such applications can be mentioned as follows: Applications 1. In the theory of production: The basic aim of a producer is to attain a low cost combination. Indifference curves are useful in the realization of this objective.When we use these curves in the theory of production, they are called iso-product curves. Producer’s equilibrium i.e. low cost combination is obtained at the point where producer’s budget line becomes tangent to one of the iso-product curves on the map. Image Source : st.motortrend.com 2. In the theory of Exchange: Prof. Edge worth used the technique of indifference curves to show the mutual gains from the exchange of two goods between…
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5 Concepts on Which the Revealed Preference Theory is Based

Essays
Both ‘utility analysis’ and ‘indifference curves analysis’ use introspective method or psychological approach to explain consumer’s behaviour and demand.Theory, propounded by Prof. PA. Samuelson, attempts to explain consumer’s behaviour and consumer’s demand on the basis of observed market behaviour of the consumer in different price-income situation.Thus, the revealed preference theory provides behaviouristic explanation of consumer’s demand. ADVERTISEMENTS: The revealed preference theory is based on the following concepts or elements: (i) Ordinal utility: According to Prof. Samuelson utilities are merely comparable and not quantifiable. It means it is based on the concept of ordinal utility. Image Source : pa211sw.communityos.org (ii) Preference hypothesis: It means when a consumer chooses a particular combination of goods, say P, out of various combinations available to him in a given price-income situation, then he reveals his…
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Essay on Indian Coal Allocation Scam

Government
The Indian coal allocation scam or the most famous coal controversy in 2012 has resulted in a widespread distress among the citizens and the anti-corruption protesters and the anger has come out in the form of street demonstrations against the ruling party and the prime minister of India Mr. Manmohan Singh.Arvind Kejriwal, anti -corruption activist and Anna Hazare along with his team marched towards the residences of the Prime Minister, Congress Party and Bharatiya Janata Party members residences. The police had to use tear gas and water cannons to prevent the crowd from entering these residences.Considered as one of the biggest scam in the last decade, the Indian coal allocation scam is a political controversy highlighting the nation’s irregularities in the matter of handling national coal deposits. Image Source :…
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3 Types of Factors that Influence the Cost of Production

Decision Making
Types of factors which influence the cost of production are as follows:An entrepreneur has to take some very important decisions before setting up a new venture. These decisions have close bearing on the cost of production of the product in the long run.He has to decide the site of the works, the nature of production, scope and size of the market that will be served and the size of the plant. ADVERTISEMENTS: All these decisions are of such nature that once taken cannot be altered time and again. All these decisions affect the cost of production in the long run.The entrepreneur, therefore, should study the various forces (factors) which may affect the cost behaviour in the long run.Generally there are three types of factors which influence the cost of production…
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What is the Relationship between Average Cost and Marginal Cost?

Plays
The various points of relationship between average cost and marginal cost are given below:Both average cost and marginal cost are derived from total cost. Average cost is obtained by dividing total cost by the number of units produced. Marginal cost is the cost of producing one additional unit of output.The total cost, in this reference, is the sum total of the total fixed cost plus total variable cost at a given level of output. Image Source : longtermcarenow.com ADVERTISEMENTS: The marginal cost curve bears relationship to the average cost curve. It is very important to have a clear idea about this relationship as it plays an important role in the price theory.The various points of relationship between average cost and marginal cost can be summed up as follows:(i) When average…
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What is the difference between Fixed and Variable Costs?

Essays
Fixed costs remain constant in total regardless of changes in volume of production and sales, upto a certain level of output.There is an inverse relationship between volume and fixed costs per unit. If volume of production increases, the fixed costs per unit decrease.Thus, total fixed costs do not change with a change in volume but vary per unit of volume inversely. Variable costs vary in total in direct proportion to changes in volume. Image Source : longtermcarenow.com ADVERTISEMENTS: An increase in the volume means a proportionate increase in the total variable costs and a decrease in volume results in a proportionate decline in the total variable costs. There is a linear relationship between volume and variable costs. They are constant per unit.Many costs fall between these two extremes. They are…
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Letter to the Telephone Department for Surrendering Your Telephone

Essays
From DateTo The Divisional Engineer (Telegraphs),Re: Surrendering of my telephone No. ____________ ADVERTISEMENTS: Dear Sir,This is to inform you that my services have been transferred to____________ and accordingly I have to vacate the above rented house on____________ where the telephone No. ___________ has been installed. Under the circumstances, when I will not be needing the telephone connection at my residence any longer, I have no alternative but to surrender the same.I would, therefore, request you to arrange to take out the telephone instrument together with its accessories from my residence after disconnecting the line latest by ____________ and refund me the security deposit kept with your department before I proceed on transfer. ADVERTISEMENTS: Thanking you,Yours faithfully, (Your Name) Image Source: 9p5z91rxsag1usgoc1ctvupb.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com
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Letter to Newspaper Editor Regarding Complaint for Water Shortage in Your Area

Essays
To The S.D.O. The Public Water Supply Co. (Place Name)Sir,Our colony is suffering from a grave water shortage. Many residents do not have, even a bucket of water in the morning before going to work. ADVERTISEMENTS: Drinking water too is in short supply for the last one week and the water from the general supply, even when boiled, is not hygienic.Kindly send your staff to check the water pipe lines, which may be blocked and have them cleared. Thanking you,Yours sincerely, (Your Name) (Address) Image Source: static.dnaindia.com ADVERTISEMENTS:
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Price Determination under Monopolistic Competition – Explained!

Industry
Each firm under imperfect competition or monopolistic competition produces different commodities which are close substitutes.This makes the output and price policies of an individual firm’s product partially dependent on the output and price policies of its rivals.In other words, the average revenue curve and the average cost curve of each firm will be partially affected by the price and output policies of its rivals. ADVERTISEMENTS: Since each firm can also increase or decrease the price of its commodity by its own action, the average revenue curve of each firm slopes downwards.It should be remembered that under perfect competition the average revenue curve of each firm is a horizontal straight line. It is so because no firm by its individual action increases or decreases the price of its commodity.Further in the…
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How to Determine Price under Oligopoly Market? – Explained!

Industry
There is no definite theory of price-output determination under oligopoly. The reason being that there is interdependence in the decision-behaviour of oligopolistic firms and the uncertainty about the reaction patterns of rival firms.The demand curve of each firm is uncertain. Due to interdependence in the behaviour of firms and uncertain reaction patterns, there can be a variety of behaviour patterns.Different economists have made different assumptions about the aims of oligopolist firms and they assumed different behaviour patterns of firms accordingly. ADVERTISEMENTS: Different behaviour patterns may be-(i) rivals may decide to co-operate in the pursuit of their objectives, (ii) they may fight each other to increase their market shares, and (iii) agreements may be of wide variety.Therefore, a large variety of models about price-output determination under oligopoly have been developed by…
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