Intermediate Microeconomics - Assignment 1

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Intermediate Microeconomics Assignment 1

Due on April 4 (7th week, Tuesday, 14:00PM), 2023∗

Name Student ID

1. Diminishing MRS and Quasi-Concave Utilities Examine whether the MRS declines as x
increases.
xy
(1) U (x, y) = x+y

(2) U (x, y) = ln x + ln y

2. UMP Consider the Cobb-Douglas utility function U (x, y) = xa y b where a > 0 and b > 0. The
per-unit price for good x and y is px and py , respectively, and the income is I.

(1) Derive the Marshallian demand x∗ (px , py , I), y ∗ (px , py , I), and the indirect utility (value
function) V (px , py , I).
(2) If price px or py increases, is the consumer better-off or worse-off? If income increases,
whether the consumer is better-off or worse-off.

3. EMP Consider U (x, y) = xa y b .

(1) Derive the Hicksian demand for U (x, y) = xa y b , and the expenditure function E(px , py , u).
(2) If price px or py increases, will the total expenditure increase or decrease?
(3) Verify x∗ (px , py , I) = hx (px , py , u) when u = V where V is solved by 2 (1).
(4) Verify hx (px , py , u) = x∗ (px , py , I) when I = E where E is solved by 3 (1).

4. Income & substitution effect for perfect substitutes Assume that a consumer’s utility
function is U (x, y) = 3x + 2y, i.e., x and y are perfect substitutes. The initial prices are
(px , py ) = (1, 1), and his/her income is I = 10.

(1) Other things equal, if px increases from 1 to 1.2, compute its total effect, substitution
and income effect on the optimal choice of x.1

Please upload your answers to bb.bfsu.edu.cn. Your can simply upload the photos/scanned copies, or by other
electronic formats. Using LATEX to generate a PDF document is encouraged. If the blackboard system does not
work, you can also send your answers to [email protected]. Solutions will be provided after 14:00PM on BB.
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注意这里定义的“替代效应”是 PPT 中“保持原效用不变/沿原无差异曲线旋转”。

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(2) If px increases from 1 to 2, compute its total effect, substitution and income effect on
the optimal choice of x.2

5. Quasi-linear Utility (这个题目仅供思考,不用做) Consider the quasi-linear utility U (x, y) =


u(x) + y, where u′ (·) > 0, u′′ (·) < 0 and let’s normalize py = 1 for simplicity.

(1) Assume that when the price of x increases from p1 to p2 , the Mashallian demand changes
from x∗1 (p1 , py , I) to x∗2 (p2 , py , I), where both x∗1 and x∗2 are interior solutions. Evaluated
at p2 , is the Hicksian demand hx (p2 , py , V1 ) an interior solution or corner solution? (V1
is the indirect utility of the UMP at p1 ).
(2) Starting from px = p1 , assume that px increases “a little” (such that before and after
the change, all solutions are interior). Show the income and substitution effect due such
increase in px .
(3) Assume that at px = p3 , the UMP gives a corner solution. Show the income and
substitution effect when px increases “a little” around p3 .

2
依旧采用 PPT 中定义的希克斯替代效应。

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