In: Economics
Suppose two producers of fiberglass parts, Apex and Bflex, are duopolists competing in Cournot competition, where quantities are chosen before price. Costs MC=ATC=$40 for each firm, and demand is P=200-q.
a. What are the reaction functions for each firm? What is the equilibrium quantity of fiberglass parts? What is the equilibrium price? What profits are earned by each firm?
b. Show a graph of reaction functions, along with the equilibrium quantity. What happens in the graph if Apex develops new technology which lowers their costs to MC=ATC=$30? Show the changes on your graph, and indicate the new equilibrium quantity.
c. Using the original information (with MC=ATC=40 for both), what is the equilibrium quantity and price if Apex is the leader (choosing quantity first) and Bflex is the follower? Is there a first-mover advantage? Explain.