Math Problem Statement

Question 1 (12 marks). Gamerix is a monopolist in the industry of video game consoles. Its market demand is given by P = 10 − Q, where P and Q are, respectively, the market price and quantity of consoles. The total cost of producing Q units is given by the cost function C(Q) = 4Q. Gamerix practises simple monopoly pricing. (a) Find the Marginal Revenue function and the profit-maximising quantity. (2 marks)

Solution

To solve this, we need to follow a few steps to find the Marginal Revenue (MR) function and the profit-maximizing quantity for Gamerix. Let's break it down.

Step 1: Demand function

The demand function is given as: P=10QP = 10 - Q This represents the relationship between price PP and quantity QQ.

Step 2: Total Revenue (TR)

The total revenue is given by the product of price PP and quantity QQ: TR=P×Q=(10Q)×QTR = P \times Q = (10 - Q) \times Q TR=10QQ2TR = 10Q - Q^2 This is the total revenue function.

Step 3: Marginal Revenue (MR)

Marginal Revenue is the derivative of Total Revenue with respect to QQ: MR=d(TR)dQMR = \frac{d(TR)}{dQ} Differentiate the total revenue function: MR=ddQ(10QQ2)=102QMR = \frac{d}{dQ}(10Q - Q^2) = 10 - 2Q

Step 4: Marginal Cost (MC)

The total cost function is given as C(Q)=4QC(Q) = 4Q. The Marginal Cost (MC) is the derivative of the total cost with respect to QQ: MC=dC(Q)dQ=4MC = \frac{dC(Q)}{dQ} = 4

Step 5: Profit Maximization

A profit-maximizing monopolist produces where Marginal Revenue equals Marginal Cost (MR = MC): 102Q=410 - 2Q = 4 Solve for QQ: 104=2Q10 - 4 = 2Q Q=3Q = 3

Final Answer:

  • Marginal Revenue function: MR=102QMR = 10 - 2Q
  • Profit-maximizing quantity: Q=3Q = 3

Would you like a detailed explanation of how we derived the profit-maximizing condition?


Here are 5 related questions:

  1. How do we calculate the price Gamerix charges at the profit-maximizing quantity?
  2. What is the total revenue Gamerix earns at the profit-maximizing quantity?
  3. How does Gamerix's cost function influence its pricing strategy?
  4. What is the relationship between marginal cost and total cost?
  5. How would a shift in demand affect the profit-maximizing quantity?

Tip: In monopoly pricing, the marginal revenue curve always lies below the demand curve because the monopolist must lower the price to sell more units.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Economics
Calculus
Monopoly Pricing
Marginal Revenue
Profit Maximization

Formulas

Demand function: P = 10 - Q
Total Revenue: TR = 10Q - Q^2
Marginal Revenue: MR = 10 - 2Q
Total Cost: C(Q) = 4Q
Marginal Cost: MC = 4
Profit Maximization: MR = MC

Theorems

Profit maximization in monopoly (MR = MC)

Suitable Grade Level

University level (Economics/Business Mathematics)