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Price and Output under Discriminating Monopoly

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Topics

Estimated time: 8 minutes
  • Meaning of Discriminating Monopoly
  • Three Profit-Maximizing Decisions
  • When Price Discrimination Pays Off
  • Key Points: Price and Output under Discriminating Monopoly
CISCE: Class 12

Meaning of Discriminating Monopoly

A monopolist charges different prices to different groups for the same product to boost revenue. Works when markets have different demand elasticities (less elastic = less price-sensitive buyers).
Real-life: Movie tickets—adults pay more (low elasticity), students get discounts (high elasticity).

CISCE: Class 12

Three Profit-Maximizing Decisions

  1. Total Output: Produce where Marginal Cost (MC) = Combined Marginal Revenue (CMR).
    - CMR = Horizontal sum of MR from all markets.
    - Output: OM units (last unit's cost = added revenue).
    Analogy: Baking cookies for two parties—make total where extra cookie cost matches extra sales from either.

  2. Divide Output: Split so MR₁ = MR₂ = MC.
    - Market 1 (low elasticity): OM₁ units.
    - Market 2 (high elasticity): OM₂ units.
    Why equal? Shift units from low-MR to high-MR market raises profit.

  3. Set Prices: Higher in low-elasticity market.
    - Market 1: P₁ (high price, OM₁ sold).
    - Market 2: P₂ (low price, OM₂ sold).
    Equilibrium: MR₁ = MR₂ = CMR = MC.

CISCE: Class 12

When Price Discrimination Pays Off

  • Larger Output: More production than single-price monopoly (societal gain).
  • Equity: Rich pay more (e.g., doctor charges wealthy high, poor low).
  • Helps Weaker Sections: Railways—1st class premium, 2nd class cheap; else poor excluded.
    Quote: "Railways might not exist without discrimination." — Joan Robinson.
CISCE: Class 12

Key Points: Price and Output Determination under Discriminating Monopoly

  • A discriminating monopolist charges different prices in different markets to maximise profit.
  • Total output is fixed where MC = CMR (ΣMR) and divided so that MR₁ = MR₂ = MC.
  • Higher price is charged in the market with less elastic demand, and lower price where demand is more elastic.
  • Monopoly equilibrium occurs where MR₁ = MR₂ = CMR = MC.

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