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=Law of diminishing returns (Raw draft)=
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==General Notes==


The '''law of diminishing returns''' (LDR) is a concept in economic theory. It states that the output per input (productivity) declines if the input of a production factor is increased over a certain limit. Under the name law of diminishing returns actually exist two different concepts: one ''classical'' and one ''neoclassical''. These concepts bear similarities but are based on different reasons.
==Raw Drafts==
__TOC__
==The classical concept==
In [[History of economic thought#Classical_Economics|classical economics]] the LDR states the following: If you have at least two different production factors, the highest productivity is gained if an optimal proportion between these factors is kept. Any divergence from that proportion will result in lower productivity.


If one production factor is fixed, the proportion between the production factors will change with rising production i.e. rising input of the variable factor. According to the classical LDR this leads to a production function that has four phases with the following characteristics:
* [[User:Paul Schächterle/Notebook/LDR|LDR]]
 
# Rising [[marginal]] productivity, rising average productivity.
# Diminishing marginal productivity, rising average productivity.
# Diminishing average productivity.
# Negative marginal productivity, i.e. an increase of the variable factor will result in a decrease of the overall product.
 
(Graph)
 
Historically the concept was developed independently by [[Anne Robert Jacques Turgot|J. Turgot]] and [[Johann Heinrich von Thünen|J. v. Thünen]]. It was mainly related to agricultural production and the use of fertilizer in relation to a fixed amount of soil.
 
(Production of wheat, use of inferior soils --> neoclassical concept?)
 
==The neoclassical concept==
In [[History of economic thought#Neoclassical_Economics|neoclassical economics]] the LDR signifies that an increasing input of ''any'' production factor will result in diminishing marginal productivity. This leads to a production function with the following characteristics:
* Zero input of a production factor results in zero output i.e. the graph starts at the [[Origin (Mathematics)|origin]].
* Marginal productivity is highest at the first unit of output.
* Marginal productivity decreases continuously.
 
(Graph)
 
The origins of the neoclassical production function i.e. the neoclassical LDR date back to the time of classical economics. Then the concept was used to describe the effect of an increase in wheat production where good soils were limited. To increase the production of wheat inferior soils would have to be used, which would deliver less wheat for the same amount of labour.

Latest revision as of 03:31, 22 November 2023


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General Notes

Raw Drafts

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