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Economic distributions, primitive distributions, and demand recovery in Monopolistic Competition

Author

Listed:
  • André De Palma
  • Simon P. Anderson

    (Université de Cergy-Pontoise, THEMA)

Abstract

We link fundamental technological and taste distributions to endogenous economic distributions of prices and firm size (output, profit) generated under monopolistic competition with heterogeneous productivities as per recent Trade and IO models. We new derive properties for monopoly pricing and equivalence properties on demand curvature, profit functions, and marginal revenue, which we use to ensure distributions of cost, price, output, and profit can be matched under monopolistic competition. Demand and one distribution determine the rest. We provide constructive proofs to recover demand and all distributions from just two (e.g., price and cost distributions uncover demand form), and derive consistency conditions that distribution pairs must satisfy. We then extend to include mark-up distributions.

Suggested Citation

  • André De Palma & Simon P. Anderson, 2021. "Economic distributions, primitive distributions, and demand recovery in Monopolistic Competition," Thema Working Papers 2021-03, THEMA (Théorie Economique, Modélisation et Applications), CY Cergy-Paris University, ESSEC and CNRS.
  • Handle: RePEc:ema:worpap:2021-03
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Anderson, Simon P. & de Palma, André, 2024. "Economic distributions, primitive distributions, and demand recovery in monopolistic competition," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).

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    JEL classification:

    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • F12 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies; Fragmentation

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