A risk-neutral, price-taking firm must set output before it knows the market price. There
is a 50 percent chance the market demand curve will be Qd = 10 – 2P and a 50 percent
chance it will be Qd = 20 – 2P. The market supply curve is estimated to be QS = 2 + P.a.
Calculate the expected (mean) market price.b. Calculate the variance of the market
price.c. If the firm’s marginal cost is given by MC = 0.01 + 5Q, what level of output
maximizes expected profits?
Consider a monopoly facing a demand structure where the price elasticity of demand is
-1.25. The optimal markup factor is:
A. 5 times marginal revenue.
B. 0.2 times marginal revenue.
C. 5 times marginal cost.
D. 0.2 times marginal cost.
Property owners move scarce resources toward the production of goods most valued by