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Emergence of price-taking Behavior

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  • Sjur Didrik Flåm

    (University of Bergen)

Abstract

Price-taking behavior is the bedrock of much market theory. How might such behavior emerge? Addressing that old but still intriguing question, this paper uses a money commodity to denominate all rates of exchange and substitution. Out of equilibrium, some rates differ between agents, thereby driving trade. The simplest form of trade is bilateral; it needs no broker, center or supervisor. Yet, under broad conditions, that elementary institution can take the economy to competitive equilibrium. Proving convergence, this paper invokes minimal hypotheses as to agents’ behaviors, competences and deals. Moreover, agents may make boundary choices, appreciate relatively few commodities, choose within general domains and deploy non-smooth preferences. Convex analysis provides the chief tool kit.

Suggested Citation

  • Sjur Didrik Flåm, 2020. "Emergence of price-taking Behavior," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 70(3), pages 847-870, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:joecth:v:70:y:2020:i:3:d:10.1007_s00199-019-01232-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s00199-019-01232-5
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Money commodity; Bilateral exchange; Market equilibrium;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C63 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Computational Techniques
    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles
    • D51 - Microeconomics - - General Equilibrium and Disequilibrium - - - Exchange and Production Economies

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