Two Professors at a Nearby University Want to Co-Author a New

question 70

Multiple Choice

Two professors at a nearby university want to co-author a new textbook in either economics or statistics.They feel that if they write an economics book they have a 50% chance of placing it with a major publisher where it should ultimately sell about 40,000 copies.If they can't get a major publisher to take it,then they feel they have an 80% chance of placing it with a smaller publisher,with sales of 30,000 copies.On the other hand if they write a statistics book,they feel they have a 40% chance of placing it with a major publisher,and it should result in ultimate sales of about 50,000 copies.If they can't get a major publisher to take it,they feel they have a 50% chance of placing it with a smaller publisher,with ultimate sales of 35,000 copies.
-What is the expected payoff for the decision to write the economics book?

• A)50,000 copies
• B)40,000 copies
• C)32,000 copies
• D)30,500 copies
• E)10,500 copies

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Definitions:

Phantom Tickets

Tickets for events that are sold but do not actually exist or are not intended to be honored, often associated with scams or fraud.

Consumer Surplus

The variance between the total price consumers intend to pay for a service or good and what they really pay.

Demand Curve

A graph showing the relationship between the price of a good and the quantity of that good that consumers are willing to purchase at various prices.

Willingness to Pay

The maximum amount a consumer is ready to spend on a good or service.