In: Economics
the cost function for a firm with a Cobb-Douglas production function y = x1ax2b can be written as c(y) = Ky1/(a+b).
a) Demonstrate that if a+b < 1 the firm’s long-run average and marginal cost functions must be increasing in y.
b) Demonstrate that if a+b = 1 the firm’s long-run average and marginal cost functions will not be increasing in y but instead will be constant.