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University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

The Theory of the Firm

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Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level

Recommended experience

8 hours to complete
3 weeks at 2 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level

Recommended experience

8 hours to complete
3 weeks at 2 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

  • Learn to apply marginal returns to inputs, key firm costs, and cost changes over time.

  • Understand perfect competition, profit maximization, and profit-maximizing output.

  • Learn about market structures and distinguish marginal revenue in different firms for profitability assessment.

  • Explore welfare effects of market power, types of price discrimination, and its societal impact.

Details to know

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Recently updated!

July 2024

Assessments

3 assignments

Taught in English

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This course is part of the Microeconomics Principles Specialization
When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
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There are 3 modules in this course

Welcome! This course we will begin covering the theory of the firm. Economists call this section, "The Economics of the Lemonade Stand." And that title makes perfect sense, since the concepts we cover can be used by anyone, from someone owning a lemonade stand, to a car manufacturing company, to a hair salon, to a burrito stand, etc.

What's included

9 videos1 reading1 assignment1 discussion prompt

Welcome! This module we continue our discussion of the firm by focusing on those firms working in a perfectly competitive (or competitive) environment.

What's included

10 videos1 reading1 assignment1 discussion prompt

So, why is it that when you fly the person sitting next to you in the plane probably paid a different price for the ticket than what you paid for it? And why does Starbucks charge so much for its coffee even though you can buy coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts for almost half of that price? This module we are finishing our discussion of the firm by focusing on cases that should be more familiar to you than the perfect competition examples we have been using.

What's included

10 videos1 reading1 assignment1 discussion prompt

Instructor

Dr. José J. Vázquez-Cognet
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
4 Courses186,817 learners

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Recommended if you're interested in Economics

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