In: Economics
The utility of an agent who consumes x amounts of good X and y amounts of good Y is given by the following utility function: u = U(x, y) = 3 + 2x 2 + xy + y 2 Assume that the agent has an income equal to £10, that the price of good X is px = £2 and X and the price of good Y is py = £1. a) [3 marks] Find the budget constraint of the agent. b) [3 marks] Write down the constrained optimisation problem for this agent. c) [12 marks] Assuming that the agent spends all the income, solve for the optimal consumption bundle using the Lagrangian method. d) [2 marks] How can you interpret the Lagrange multiplier, λ? e) [5 marks] Illustrate on a graph the agent’s optimal consumption bundle. Be sure to label all axes, curves and relevant points in your graph.