5 ms·
I'm wondering what kind of utility function is needed to make such a strange MU function... As far as dents on the car are concerned, let me write what convent
by DmitriLebedev 18y ago
I'm wondering what kind of utility function is needed to make such a strange MU function...
As far as dents on the car are concerned, let me write what conventional microeconomy says. Here is the function to estimate the choices.
U = sum(F(x(t))/(1+r)^t) by t from 1 to infinity (or life expectation), where F(x) is a momentary utility function, r is "perceptual" discounting rate (sorry, don't know the English term), which means that F(x) next year is 1+r times less nice than having it now.
If you don't repair the car, x(t) will be constant, let's say X. If you do, first period it is x(0) = Y < X, but since t=1 x(t) = Z > X.
The problem is that F(Y) has more weight than F(Z)'s. The more r is, the greater the difference and more probable the first choice will win. The problem of poor people is that (1) their r is much more than that of middle class, and they don't value the future, (2) their F(x) (perception of what is good) is different.
- yummyfajitas 18y agoI think the authors ideas are less about time discounting, and more about non-linear relations in quantity of problems. The authors example is a man who's car has many dents. Utility might behave like U(0 dents) = 1, U(1 dent) = 1/2, U(n >= 2 dents)=0. If a car has 5 dents, the marginal utility of repairing one dent is 0 (U(5)=U(4)), so the owner does nothing. Of course, in real life, most utility functions behave in the opposite way. Going from homeless to a studio apt? Major gains in utility. Going from a studio to 1 bdrm? Nice, but not as fantastic.