|
|
LAISSEZ FAIRE: A french term that translates into "leave us alone." It has become the rallying cry for many business leaders of the second estate who oppose government intervention, regulation, or even taxation. It's based on the belief that markets alone can achieve an efficient allocation of our resources. This laissez faire philosophy of should be contrasted directly with the philosophy of paternalism, which essentially says "Government needs to care for you because you can't care for yourself."
Visit the GLOSS*arama
|
|
|
|
                           POINT ELASTICITY: The relative responsiveness of a change in one variable (call it B) to an infinitesimally small change in another variable (call it A). The notion of point elasticity typically comes into play when discussing the elasticity at a specific point on a curve. Point elasticity can be calculated in a number of different ways. Sophisticated economists, using sophisticated mathematical techniques (better known as calculus) calculate point elasticity by using derivatives. Derivatives are calculus talk for infinitesimally small changes. The formula for calculating point elasticity using calculus is given as:The symbol that looks like a backward six (∂) is the mathematical notation for a derivative, or infinitesimally small change. The first term on the right-hand side of this formula is the percentage change in variable B and the second term is the percentage change in variable A.Unsophisticated folks can also calculate point elasticity without the use of sophisticated calculus. This is done with the midpoint elasticity formula, presented here: midpoint
elasticity | = | (B2 - B1)
(B2 + B1)/2 | ÷ | (A2 - A1)
(A2 + A1)/2 |
The first term on the right-hand side of the equation is the percentage change in variable B. The second term is the percentage change in variable A. The individual items are interpreted as this: A1 is the initial value of A before any changes, A2 is the ending value after A changes, B1 is the initial value of B before any changes, and B2 is the ending value after B changes.This midpoint elasticity formula actually calculates the average or arc elasticity of the entire line segment. However, it also calculates the point elasticity for the midpoint of a line segment.
Recommended Citation:POINT ELASTICITY, AmosWEB Encyclonomic WEB*pedia, http://www.AmosWEB.com, AmosWEB LLC, 2000-2025. [Accessed: July 14, 2025].
Check Out These Related Terms... | | | | | |
Or For A Little Background... | | | | | |
And For Further Study... | | | | | |
Search Again?
Back to the WEB*pedia
|
|
|
|
Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice in Wonderland, was the pseudonym of Charles Dodgson, an accomplished mathematician and economist.
|
|
|
"Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus." -- Alexander Graham Bell, inventor
|
|
TGE
Tokyo Grain Exchange (Japan)
|
|
|
Tell us what you think about AmosWEB. Like what you see? Have suggestions for improvements? Let us know. Click the User Feedback link.
User Feedback
|
|
