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Production Function
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A function that shows the maximum quantity of output that a firm can produce with given quantities of inputs
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Marginal Rate Technical Substitution
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The rate at which the firm can decrease Y for a small increase in X while keeping output the same
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Increasing returns to scale
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A type of production function where increasing all inputs by a fixed percentage increases output by more than that percentage
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Labor-saving technological progress
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A charge in the production function that makes the firm more productive and increases the marginal product of capital relative to the marginal product of labor
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Economic Cost
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The full opportunity cost of making a decision or producing output including both implicit and explicit costs
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Cost minimization problem
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The problem of finding the input combination that produces a given amount of output at the lowest possible cost, given a fixed production function and fixed input prices
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Total cost curve
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A graph that shows how the cost of production varies with quantity of output
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Economies of scale
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Average costs decrease as output increases
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Short run
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A period of time in which the level of at least one of the firms inputs cannot be changed
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Monopoly
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A market where there is only one seller
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Monopsony
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A market in which there is only one buyer
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Barrier to entry
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A factor that allows a firm to enjoy monopoly power while preventing rivals from profitably entering the market
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First degree price discrimination
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Pricing each unit of a good sold to each consumer at exactly that consumer's maximum willingness to pay
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Second degree price discrimination
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Charging different prices per unit of a good depending on how much a consumer has already purchased
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Third degree price discrimination
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Charging different prices to different consumer groups or segments in a market