Microeconomics

Table of Contents

1. Topic pack - Microeconomics - introduction
2. 1.1 Competitive Markets: Demand and Supply
3. 1.1 Competitive Markets: Demand and Supply - notes
4. 1.1 Competitive markets - questions
5. 1.1 Competitive markets - simulations and activities
6. 1.2 Elasticities
7. 1.2 Elasticities - notes
8. Section 1.2 Elasticities - questions
9. Section 1.2 Elasticities - simulations and activities
10. 1.3 Government intervention
11. 1.3 Government Intervention - notes
12. 1.3 Government intervention - questions
13. 1.3 Government intervention - simulations and activities
14. 1.4 Market failure
15. 1.4 Market failure - notes
16. Section 1.4 Market failure - questions
17. Section 1.4 Market failure - simulations and activities
18. 1.5 Theory of the firm
19. 1.5 Theory of the firm - notes (HL only)
    1. Cost theory
    2. Calculating costs
    3. Short-run
    4. Long-run
    5. Internal economies of scale
    6. External economies of scale
    7. Diseconomies of scale
    8. Long run cost curves
    9. The very long run
    10. Revenues
    11. Revenues - notes
    12. Profit
    13. Profit - notes
    14. Combining revenue and cost curves
    15. Profit maximisation - price taker
    16. Profit maximisation - price setter
    17. Alternative aims of firms
    18. Profit, sales and revenue maximisation
    19. Perfect competition
    20. Perfect competition - notes
    21. Short-run to long-run - profits
    22. Short-run to long-run - losses
    23. Shut down price, break-even price
    24. Efficient allocation of resources
    25. Monopoly and oligopoly
    26. Monopoly and oligopoly - introduction
    27. Growth and power
    28. The model of monopoly
    29. Monopoly - profit maximisation
    30. Monopoly equilibrium
    31. Monopoly v. perfect competition
    32. Economic efficiency in perfect competition
    33. Economic efficiency in perfect competition and monopoly
    34. Efficiency and market structure
    35. Monopolistic competition
    36. Monopolistic competition - notes
    37. Monopolistic competition in the short-run
    38. Monopolistic competition in the long run
    39. Oligopoly
    40. Oligopoly - notes
    41. Advertising and branding
    42. Product innovation
    43. Theories of oligopoly - non-collusive
    44. The kinked demand curve theory
    45. Kinked demand curve - change in cost
    46. Cut-price competition (predatory pricing)
    47. Theories of oligopoly - collusive
    48. Forms of collusion
    49. Price discrimination
    50. Equilibrium of the discriminating monopolist
20. Section 1.5 Theory of the firm - questions
21. Section 1.5 Theory of the firm - simulations and activities
22. Print View

The very long run

So far we have looked at the short-run and the long-run. We now meet the very long run.

Invention, innovation and technological change gives some firms a huge cost advantage in some industries, and brings into existence new industries in their own right.

A new invention, protected by patent, obviously gives its inventor a huge advantage. This is the way that the pharmaceutical industry works.

Within existing industries a smallish firm making a technological breakthrough can gain a cost advantage and become dominant. Look at the diagram below.

Figure 1 Effect of technical breakthrough on competitive position of a firm

Innovation and invention has to be paid for, and research and development is an expensive exercise with no guarantee of success. Investing firms aim to protect and exploit their inventions, whilst others aim to obtain and use this research.

Major breakthroughs are few and far between, but yield big gains. They are costly.