laut is confusing the value of the function with the cost of the algorithm. Short example... Say a spool of wool has a market value of $5 and a sweater has a m

laut is confusing the value of the function with the cost of the algorithm. Short example... Say a spool of wool has a market value of $5 and a sweater has a market value of $11. Marx's theory is that when you buy a sweater what you're really buying is a package containing: 1. a spool of wool 2. a single application of the wool -> sweater function. He called 2 "socially necessary labor". The value of the labor function is therefore $11 - $5 = $6. It might take worker A an hour to perform the function and worker B three hours. The amount of labor performed by a given worker (the algorithm if you will) is totally irrelevant here. Socially necessary labor is an abstract concept and its value is determined by the market values of the inputs and outputs. Marx would say that worker A should be making $6/hour and worker B should be making $2/hour. ie they're creating and selling a specific quantity of socially necessary labor. Since they only get paid $5 for the $6 worth of labor they create they're being exploited by the capitalist who controls their work lives.