Cardinal Utility Analysis:Human wants are unlimited and they are of different intensity.

The
means at the disposal of a man are not only scarce but they have alternative uses. As a result of scarcity of recourses, the consumer cannot satisfy all his wants. He has to choose as to which want is to be satisfied first and which afterward if the recourses permit. The consumer is confronted in making a choice. For example, a man is thirsty. He goes to the market and satisfy his thirst by purchasing coca-cola instead of tea.. We are here to examine the economic forces which make him purchase a particular commodity. The answer is simple. The consumer buys a commodity because it gives him satisfaction. In technical term, a consumer purchases a commodity because it has utility for him. We now examine the tools which are used in the analyzes of consumer behavior.

Concept of Utility:Jevon (1835-1882) was the first economist who introduces the concept of utility in economics.
According to him utility is the basis on which the demand of a individual for a commodity depends upon Utility is defined as the power of a commodity or service to satisfy human want. Utility is thus the satisfaction which is derived by the consumer by consuming the goods. For example, cloth has a utility for us because we can wear it. Pen has a utility who can write with it. The utility is subjective in nature. It differs from person to person. The utility of a bottle of wine is zero for a person who is non drinker while it has a very high utility for a drinker. Here it may be noted that the term utility may not be confused with pleasure or unfulness which a commodity gives to an individual. Utility is a subjective satisfaction which consumer gets from consuming any good or service. For example, poison is injurious to health but it gives subjective satisfaction to a person who wishes to die. We can say that utility is value neutral.

Assumptions
i. ii.

of

Cardinal

Utility

Analysis:

Rationality. The consumer is rational. He seeks to maximize satisfaction from the limited income which is at his disposal. Utility is cardinally measurable. The utility can be measured in cardinal numbers such as 1, 3, 10, 15, etc. The utility is expressed in imaginary cardinal numbers tells us a great deal about the preference of the consumer for a good. Marginal utility of money remains constant. Another important premise of cardinal utility of money spent on the purchase of a good or service should remain constant. Diminishing marginal utility. It is also assumed that the marginal utility obtained from the consumption of a good diminishes continuously as its consumption is increased. Independent utilities. According to the Cardinalist school, the utility which is derived from the consumption of a good is a function of the quantity of that good alone. If does not depend at all upon the quantity consumed of other goods. The goods, we can say, possess independent utilities and are additive. Introspection method. The Cardinalist school assumes that the behavior of marginal utility in the mind of another person can be judged with the help of self observation. For example, I know that as I purchase more and more of a good, the less utility I derived from the additional units of it. By applying the same principle, I can read other people mind and say with confidence that marginal utility of a good diminishes as they have more units of it.

iii. iv. v.

vi.

Pareto, an Italian Economist, severely criticized the concept of cardinal utility. He stated that utility is neither quantifiable nor addible. It can, however be compared. He suggested that the concept of utility should be replaced by the scale of preference. Hicks and Allen, following the footsteps of Pareto, introduced the technique of indifference curves. The cardinal utility approach is thus replaced by ordinal utility function.

Total Utility and Marginal Utility:People buy goods because they get satisfaction from them. This
satisfaction which the consumer experiences when he consumes a good, when measured as number of utils is called utility. It is here to necessary to make a distinction between total utility and marginal utility.

Total Utility (TU) - Definition and Explanation:

Total utility is the total satisfaction obtained from all units of a particular commodity consumed over a period of time. For example, a person consumes eggs and gains 50 utils of total utility. This total utility is the sum of utilities from the successive units (30 utils from the first egg, 15 utils from the second and 5 utils from the third egg). Sunning up total utility is the amount of satisfaction (utility) obtained from consuming a particular quantity of a good or service within a given time period. It is the sum of marginal utilities of each successive unit of consumption. By formula: TUx = MUx

Marginal Utility (MU) - Definition and Explanation:

Marginal utility means an additional or incremental utility. Marginal utility is the change in the total utility that results from unit one unit change in consumption of the commodity within a given period of time. For example, when a person increases the consumption of eggs from one egg to two eggs, the total utility increases from 30 utils to 45 utils. The marginal utility here would be the15 utils of the 2nd egg consumed. Marginal utility, thus, can also be described as difference between total utility derived from one level of consumption and total utility derived from another level of consumption. By formula: MU = TU / Q It may here be noted that as a person consumes more and more units of a commodity, the marginal utility of the additional units begins to diminish but the total utility goes on increasing at a diminishing rate. When the marginal utility comes to zero or we say the point of satiety is reached, the total utility is the maximum. If consumption is increased further from this point of satiety, the marginal utility becomes negative and total utility begins to diminish. The relationship between total utility and marginal utility is now explained with the help of following schedule and a graph.

Schedule a showing marginal utility and total utility

Units of apples consumed daily 1 2 3 4 5 6 Total utility in utils per Marginal utility in utils per day day 7 11 13 14 14 13 7 4 2 1 0 -1 (11 - 7) (13 - 11) (14 - 13) (14 - 14) (13 - 14)

The above table shows that when a person consumes no apples, he gets no satisfaction. His total utility is zero. In case he consumes one apple a day, he gains seven units of satisfaction. His total utility is 7 and his marginal utility is also 7. In case he consumes second apple, he gains extra 4 utils (MU). Thus given him a total utility of 11 utils from two apples. His marginal utility has gone down from 7 utils to 4 utils because he has a less craving for the second apple. Same is the case with the consumption of third apple. The marginal utility has now fallen to 2 utils while the total utility of three apples has increased to 13 utils (7 + 4 + 2). In case the consumer takes fifth apple,, his marginal utility falls to zero utils and if he consumes sixth apple also, the total showing total utility and marginal utility is plotted in figure below:

The total utility curves starts at the origin as zero consumption of apples yield zero utility. The TU curve reaches at its maximum or a peak of M when MU is zero. The MU curve falls through the graph. A special point occurs when the consumer consumes fifth apple. He gains no marginal utility from it. After this point, marginal utility becomes negative. iv. The MU curve can be derived from the total utility curve. It is the slope of the line joining two adjacent quantities on the curve. For example, the marginal utility of the third apple is the slope of line joining points a and b. The slope of such given by the formula; MU = TU / Q Here MU = 2.

i. ii. iii.

Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility:The law of diminishing marginal utility describes a

familiar and fundamental tendency of human behavior. The law of diminishing marginal utility states that: As a consumer consumes more and more units of a specific commodity, the utility from the successive units goes on diminishing. The additional benefit which a person derives from an increase of his stock of a thing diminishes with every increase in the stock that already has.

Law is Based Upon Three Facts:The law of diminishing marginal utility is based upon three facts. First, total
wants of a man are unlimited but each single want can be satisfied. As a man gets more and more units of a commodity, the desire of his for that good goes on falling. A point is reached when the consumer no longer wants any more units of that good. Secondly, different goods are not perfect substitutes for each other in the satisfaction of various particular wants. As such the marginal utility will decline as the consumer gets additional units of a specific good. Thirdly, the marginal utility of money is constant given the consumers wealth. The basis of this law is a fundamental feature of wants. It states that when people go to the market for the purchase of commodities, they do not attach equal importance to all the commodities which they buy. In case of some of commodities, they are willing to pay more and in some less. There are two main reasons for this difference in demand. (1) the linking of the consumer for the commodity and (2) the quantity of the commodity which the consumer has with himself. The more one has of a thing, the less he wants the additional units of it. In other words, the marginal utility of a commodity diminishing as the consumer gets larger quantities of it. This, in brief, is the axiom of law of diminishing marginal utility.

Explanation and Example of Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility:

This law can be explained by taking a very simple example. Suppose, a man is very thirsty. He goes to the market and buys one glass of sweet water. The glass of water gives him immense pleasure or we say the first glass of water has great utility for him. If he takes second glass of water after that, the utility will be less than that of the first one. It is because the edge of his thirst has been blunted to a great extent. If he drinks third glass of water, the utility of the third glass will be less than that of second and so on. The utility goes on diminishing with the consumption of every successive glass water till it drops down to zero. This is the point of satiety. It is the position of consumers equilibrium or maximum satisfaction. If the consumer is forced further to take a glass of water, it leads to disutility causing total utility to decline. The marginal utility will become negative. A rational consumer will stop taking water at the point at which marginal utility becomes negative even if the good is free. In short, the more we have of a thing, ceteris paribus, the less we want still more of that, or to be more precise. In given span of time, the more of a specific product a consumer obtains, the less anxious he is to get more units of that product or we can say that as more units of a good are consumed, additional units will provide less additional satisfaction than previous units. The following table and graph will make the law of diminishing marginal utility more clear.

Schedule of Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility:

Units 1st glass 2nd glass 3rd glass 4th glass 5th glass 6th glass Total Utility 20 32 40 42 42 39 Marginal Utility 20 12 8 2 0 -3

From the above table, it is clear that in a given span of time, the first glass of water to a thirsty man gives 20 units of utility. When he takes second glass of water, the marginal utility goes on down to 12 units; When he consumes fifth glass of water, the marginal utility drops down to zero and if the consumption of water is forced further from this point, the utility changes into disutility (-3). Here it may be noted that the utility of then successive units consumed diminishes not because they are not of inferior in quality than that of others. We assume that all the units of a commodity consumed are exactly alike. The utility of the successive units falls simply because they happen to be consumed afterwards.

Curve/Diagram of Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility:

The law of diminishing marginal utility can also be represented by a diagram.

In the figure (2.2), along OX we measure units of a commodity consumed and along OY is shown the marginal utility derived from them. The marginal utility of the first glass of water is called initial utility. It is equal to 20 units. The MU of the 5th glass of water is zero. It is called satiety point. The MU of the / 6th glass of water is negative (-3). The MU curve here lies below the OX axis. The utility curve MM falls left from left down to the right showing that the marginal utility of the success units of glasses of water is falling.

Assumptions of Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility:The

under certain assumptions. These assumptions are as under:

law of diminishing marginal utility is true

(i) Rationality: In the cardinal utility analysis, it is assumed that the consumer is rational. He aims at maximization of utility subject to availability of his income. (ii) Constant marginal utility of money: It is assumed in the theory that the marginal utility of money based for purchasing goods remains constant. If the marginal utility of money changes with the increase or decrease in income, it then cannot yield correct measurement of the marginal utility of the good. (iii) Diminishing marginal utility: Another important assumption of utility analysis is that the utility gained from the successive units of a commodity diminishes in a given time period. (iv) Utility is additive: In the early versions of the theory of consumer behavior, it was assumed that the utilities of different commodities are independent. The total utility of each commodity is additive. U = U (X ) + U (X ) + U (X ). U (X ) (v) Consumption to be continuous: It is assumed in this law that the consumption of a commodity should be continuous. If there is interval between the consumption of the same units of the commodity, the law may not hold good. For instance, if you take one glass of water in the morning and the 2nd at noon, the marginal utility of the 2nd glass of water may increase. (vi) Suitable quantity: It is also assumed that the commodity consumed is taken in suitable and reasonable units. If the units are too small, then the marginal utility instead of falling may increase up to a few units. (vii) Character of the consumer does not change: The law holds true if there is no change in the character of the consumer. For example, if a consumer develops a taste for wine, the additional units of wine may increase the marginal utility to a drunkard. (viii) No change to fashion: Customs and tastes: If there is a sudden change in fashion or customs or taste of a consumer, it can than make the law inoperative. (ix) No change in the price of the commodity: there should be any change in the price of that commodity as more units are consumed.
1 1 2 2 3 3 n n

Limitations/Exceptions of Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility:

(i) Case of intoxicants: Consumption of liquor defies the low for a short period. The more a person drinks, the more likes it. However, this is truer only initially. A stage comes when a drunkard too starts taking less and less liquor and eventually stops it. (ii) Rare collection: If there are only two diamonds in the world, the possession of 2nd diamond will push up the marginal utility. (iii) Application to money: The law equally holds good for money. It is true that more money the man has, the greedier he is to get additional units of it. However, the truth is that the marginal utility of money declines with richness but never falls to zero. Summing up, we can say that the law of diminishing utility, like other laws of Economics, is simply a statement of tendency. It holds good provided other factors remain constant.

Practical Importance of Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility:

The law of diminishing utility has great practical importance in economics. The law of demand, the theory of consumers surplus, and the equilibrium in the distribution of expenditure are derived from the law of diminishing marginal utility. (i) Basis of the law of demand: The law of marginal diminishing utility and the law of demand are very closely related to each other. In fact they law of diminishing marginal utility, the more we have of a thing, and the less we want additional increment of it. In other words, we can say that as a person gets more and more of a particular commodity, the marginal utility of the successive units begins to diminish. So every consumer while buying a particular commodity compares the marginal utility of the commodity and the price of the commodity which he has to pay. If the marginal utility of the commodity is higher than that of price, he purchases that commodity. As he buys more and more, the marginal utility of the successive units begins to diminish. Then he pays fewer amounts for the successive units. He tries to equate at every step the marginal utility and the price of the commodity, he must lower its price so that the consumers are induced to buy large quantities and this is what is explained in the law of demand. From this, we conclude that the law of demand and the law of diminishing are very closely inter-related. (ii) Consumers surplus concept: The theory of consumers surplus is also based on the law of diminishing marginal utility. A consumer while purchasing the commodity compares the utility of the commodity with that of the price which he has to pay. In most of the cases, he is willing to pay more than what he actually pays. The excess of the price which he would be willing to pay rather than to go without the thing over that which he actually does pay is the economic measure of this surplus satisfaction. It is in fact difference between the total utility and the actually money spent. (iii) Importance to the consumer: A consumer in order to get the maximum satisfaction from his relatively scare resources distributes his income on commodities and services in such a way that the marginal utility from all the uses are the same. Here again the concept of marginal utility helps the consumer in arranging his scale of preference for the commodities and services. (iv) Importance to finance minister: Some times it is pointed out that the law of diminishing marginal utility does not apply on money. As a person collects money, the desires to accumulate more money increases. This view is superficial. It is true that wealth is acquired for the procurement of goods and services and man is always anxious in getting more and more of money. But what about the utility of money to him? Is it not a fact that as a person gets more and more wealth, its utility progressively decreases, though it does not reach to zero? For example, a person who earns $90,000 per month attaches less importance to $10. But a man who gets $1000 per month, the value of $10 to him is very high. A finance minister knowing this fact that the utility of money to a rich man is high and to poor man low bases the system of taxation in such a way that the rich persons are taxed at a progressive rate. The system of modern taxation is therefore, based on the law of diminishing marginal utility.

Law of Equi-Marginal Utility:

Law of Substitution OR Law of Maximum SatisfactionOR Law of Indifference OR Proportion Rule ORGossen's Second Law
In the cardinal utility analysis, the principle of equal marginal utility occupies an important place. The law of equi-marginal utility is simply an extension of law of diminishing marginal utility to two or more than two commodities. The law of equilibrium utility is known, by various names. It is named as the Law of Substitution, the Law of Maximum Satisfaction, the Law of Indifference, the Proportionate Rule and the Gossens Second Law. The household maximizing the utility will so allocate the expenditure between commodities that the utility of the last penny spent on each item is equal. As we know, every consumer has unlimited wants. However, the income this disposal at any time is limited. The consumer is, therefore, faced with a choice among many commodities that he can and would like to pay. He, therefore, consciously or unconsciously compress the satisfaction which he obtains from the purchase of the commodity and the price which he pays for it. If he thinks the utility of the commodity is greater or at-least equal to the loss of utility of money price, he buys that commodity. As he buys more and more of that commodity, the utility of the successive units begins to diminish. He stops further purchase of the commodity at a point where the marginal utility of the commodity and its price are just equal. If he pushes the purchase further from his point of equilibrium, then the marginal utility of the commodity will be less than that of price and the household will be loser. A consumer will be in x x equilibrium with a single commodity symbolically:MU = P A prudent consumer in order to get the maximum satisfaction from his limited means compares not only the utility of a particular commodity and the price but also the utility of the other commodities which he can buy with his scarce resources. If he finds that a particular expenditure in one use is yielding less utility than that of other, he will tie to transfer a unit of expenditure from the commodity yielding less marginal utility. The consumer will reach his equilibrium position when it will not be possible for him to increase the total utility by uses. The position of equilibrium will be reached when the marginal utility of each good is in proportion to its price and the ratio of the prices of all goods is equal to the ratio of their marginal utilities.

The consumer will maximize total utility from his income when the utility from the last rupee spent on each good is the same. Algebraically, this is: MUa / Pa = MUb / Pb = MUc = Pc = MUn = Pn Here: (a), (b), (c). (n) are various goods consumed. (i) Independent utilities. The marginal utilities of different commodities are independent of each other and diminish with more and more purchases. (ii) Constant marginal utility of money. The marginal utility of money remains constant to the consumer as he spends more and more of it on the purchase of goods. (iii) Utility is cardinally measurable.

Assumptions of Law of Equi-Marginal Utility:

(iv) Every consumer is rational in the purchase of goods.

Example and Explanation of Law of Equi-Marginal Utility:

The doctrine of equi-marginal utility can be explained by taking an example. Suppose a person has $5 with him whom he wishes to spend on two commodities, tea and cigarettes. The marginal utility derived from both these commodities is as under: Units of Money 1 2 3 4 5 $5 MU of Tea 10 8 6 4 2 Total Utility = 30 MU of Cigarettes 12 10 8 6 3 Total Utility = 30

A rational consumer would like to get maximum satisfaction from $5.00. He can spend money in three ways: (i) (ii) (iii) $5 may be spent on tea only. (ii) $5 may be utilized for the purchase of cigarettes only. (iii) Some rupees may be spent on the purchase of tea and some on the purchase of cigarettes.

If the prudent consumer spends $5 on the purchase of tea, he gets 30 utility. If he spends $5 on the purchase of cigarettes, the total utility derived is 39 which are higher than tea. In order to make the best of the limited resources, he adjusts his expenditure. (i) By spending $4 on tea and $1 on cigarettes, he gets 40 utility (10+8+6+4+12 = 40). (ii) By spending $3 on tea and $2 on cigarettes, he derives 46 utility (10+8+6+12+10 = 46). (iii) By spending $2 on tea and $3 on cigarettes, he gets 48 utility (10+8+12+10+8 = 48). (iv) By spending $1 on tea and $4 on cigarettes, he gets 46 utility (10+12+10+8+6 = 46).

(ii) (iii) (iv)

The sensible consumer will spend $2 on tea and $3 on cigarettes and will get maximum satisfaction. When he spends $2 on tea and $3 on cigarette, the marginal utilities derived from both these commodities is equal to 8. When the marginal utilities of the two commodities are equalizes, the total utility is then maximum, i.e., 48 as is clear from the schedule given above.

Curve/Diagram of Law of Equi-Marginal Utility:

The law of equi-marginal utility can be explained with the help of diagrams.

In the figure 2.3 MU is the marginal utility curve for tea and KL of cigarettes. When a consumer spends OP amount ($2) on tea and OC ($3) on cigarettes, the marginal utility derived from the consumption of both the items (Tea and Cigarettes) is equal to 8 units (EP = NC). The consumer gets the maximum utility when he spends $2 on tea and $3 on cigarettes and by no other alternation in the expenditure. We now assume that the consumer spends $1 on tea (OC amount) and $4 (OQ ) on cigarettes. If CQ more amounts / / are spent cigarettes, the added utility is equal to the area CQ N N. On the other hand, the expenditure on tea falls from / / OP amount ($2) to OC amount ($1). There is a toss of utility equal to the area C PEE. The loss is utility (tea) is greater than that The loss in utility (tea) is maximum satisfaction except the combination of expenditure of $2 on tea and $3 on cigarettes. This law is known as the Law of maximum Satisfaction because a consumer tries to get the maximum satisfaction from his limited resources by so planning his expenditure that the marginal utility of a rupee spent in one use is the same as the marginal utility of a rupee spent on another use. It is known as the Law of Substitution because consumer continuous substituting one good for another till he gets the maximum satisfaction. It is called the Law of Indifference because the maximum satisfaction has been achieved by equating the marginal utility in all the uses. The consumer than becomes indifferent to readjust his expenditure unless some change fakes place in his income or the prices of the commodities, etc.
/ / /

Limitations/Exceptions of Law of Equi-Marginal Utility:

(i) Effect on fashions and customs: The law of equi-marginal utility may become inoperative if people forced by fashions and customs spend money on the purchase of those commodities which they clearly knows yield less utility but they cannot transfer the unit of money from the less advantageous uses to the more advantageous uses because they are forced by the customs of the country. (ii) Ignorance or carelessness: Sometimes people due to their ignorance of price or carelessness to weigh the utility of the purchased commodity do not obtain the maximum advantage by equating the marginal utility in all the uses. (iii) Indivisible units: If the unit of expenditure is not divisible, then again the law may become inoperative. (iv) Freedom of choice: If there is no perfect freedom between various alternatives, the operation of law may be impeded.

Importance of Law of Equi-Marginal Utility:

The law of equi-marginal utility is of great practical importance. The application of the principle of substitution extends over almost every field of economic enquiry. Every consumer consciously trying to get the maximum satisfaction from his limited resources acts upon this principle of substitution. Same is the case with the producer. In the field of exchange and in theory of distribution too, this law plays a vital role. In short, despite its limitation, the law of maximum satisfaction is meaningful general statement of how consumers behave. In addition to its application to consumption, it applies equally to the theory of production and theory of distribution. In the theory of production, it is applied on the substitution of various factors of production to the point where marginal return from all the factors are equal. The government can also use this analysis for evaluation of its different economic prices. The equal marginal rule also guides an individual in the spending of his saving on different types of assets. The law of equal marginal utility also guides an individual in the allocation of his time between work and leisure. In short, despite limitations the law of substitution is applied to all problems of allocation of scarce resources.

Consumer's Equilibrium Through Indifference Curve Analysis:

The term consumers equilibrium refers to the amount of goods and services which the consumer may buy in the market given his income and given prices of goods in the market. The aim of the consumer is to get maximum satisfaction from his money income. Given the price line (budget line) and the indifference map, a consumer is said to be in equilibrium at a point where the price line is touching the highest attainable indifference curve from below. Thus the consumers equilibrium under the indifference curve theory must meet the following two conditions. First: A given price line should be tangent to an indifference curve or marginal rate of satisfaction of good X for good Y (MRSxy) must be equal to the price ratio of the two goods. i.e. MRSxy = Px / Py Second: The second order condition is that indifference curve must be convex to the origin at the point of tangency.

Assumptions:
The following assumptions are made to determine the consumers equilibrium position. i. Rationality: The consumer is rational. He wants to obtain maximum satisfaction given his income and prices. ii. Utility is ordinal: It is assumed that the consumer can rank his preference according to the satisfaction of each combination of goods. iii. Consistency of choice: It is also assumed that the consumer is consistent in the choice of goods. iv. Perfect competition: There is perfect competition in the market from where the consumer is purchasing the goods. v. Total utility: The total utility of the consumer depends on the quantities of the good consumed.

Explanation of the Equilibrium of the Consumer:

The consumers consumption decision is explained by combining the budget line and the indifference map. The consumers equilibrium position is only at a point where the price line is tangent to the highest attainable indifference curve from below. (1) The budget line should be tangent to the indifference curve:

The consumers equilibrium in explained by combining the budget line and the indifference map. In the diagram 3.11, 1 2 3 2 there are three indifference curves IC , IC and IC . The price line PT is tangent to the indifference curve IC at point

C. The consumer gets the maximum satisfaction or is in equilibrium at point C by purchasing OE units of good Y and OH units of good X with the given money income. The consumer cannot be in equilibrium at any other point on 1 indifference curves. For instance, point R and S lie on lower indifference curve IC but yield less satisfaction. As 3 regards point U on indifference curve IC , the consumer no doubt gets higher satisfaction but that is outside the budget line and hence not achievable to the consumer. The consumers equilibrium position is only at point C where the price 2 line is tangent to the highest attainable indifference curve IC from below. (2) Slope of the price line to be equal to the slope of indifference curve: The second condition for the consumer to be in equilibrium and get the maximum possible satisfaction is only at a point where the price line is a tangent to the highest possible indifference curve from below. In fig. 3.11, the price line 2 PT is touching the highest possible indifferent curve IC at point C. The point C shows the combination of the two commodities which the consumer is maximized when he buys OH units of good X and OE units of good Y. Geometrically, at tangency point C, the consumers substitution ratio is equal to price ratio Px / Py. It implies that at point C, what the consumer is willing to pay i.e., his personal exchange rate between X and Y (MRSxy) is equal to what he actually pays i.e., the market exchange rate. So the equilibrium condition being Px / Py being satisfied at the point C is: Price of X / Price of Y = MRS of X for Y The equilibrium conditions given above states that the rate at which the individual is willing to substitute commodity X for commodity Y must equal the ratio at which he can substitute X for Y in the market at a given price. (3) Indifference curve should be convex to the origin: The third condition for the stable consumer equilibrium is that the indifference curve must be convex to the origin at the point of equilibrium. In other words, we can say that the MRS of X for Y must be diminishing at the point of equilibrium. 2 It may be noticed that in fig. 3.11, the indifference curve IC is convex to the origin at point C. So at point C, all three conditions for the stable-consumers equilibrium are satisfied. Summing up, the consumer is in equilibrium at point C where the budget line PT is tangent to the indifference IC . The market basket OH of good X and OE of good Y yields the greatest satisfaction because it is on the highest attainable indifference curve. At point C; MRSxy = Px / Py
2