(1) This question involves detailed numerical calculations and will not be a typical exami question. But it will help you understand the basic growth model.. The economy of Ping Pong produces its output using capital and labor. The labor force is growing at 2% per year. At the same time, there is "labor-augmenting" technical progressi at the rate of 3% per year, so that each unit of labor is becoming more productive. (a) How fast is the effective labor force growing? (b) Now let's look at production possibilities in Ping Pong. We are going to plot a graphi with capital per unit of effective labor (k) on the horizontal axis and output per effective unit of labor (9) on the vertical axis. Here is a description of the "production function" that relates to k. As long as k is between 0 and 3, output (9) is given by = (1/2)k. After k rosses the level 3, an additional unit of k only yields one-seventh additional units of . This happens until & reaches 10. After that, each additional unit of k produces only one-tenth additional units of 9. (To draw this graph, you may want to measure the 9 axis in larger units than the k axis; otherwise, the graph is going to look way too flat.) On a graph, plot this production function. What are the capital-output ratios at k-2, 6, and 12? Note that the answers you get in the case k 6 and 12 are different from what happens at the margin (when you increase capital by one unit). Think about why this is happening. Note: in class, we talked about the output-capital ratio rather than the capital-output ratio. These are just flip sides of the same coin! If 0 is the output-capital ratio, the capital-output ratio is nothing but its reciprocal, which is 1/0. (e) Now let us suppose that Ping Pong saves 20% of its output and that the capital stock is perfectly durable and does not depreciate from year to year. If you are told what k(t) is, describe precisely how you would calculate k(t+1). In your formula, note two things: (1) convert all percentages to fractions (e.g., 3% 0.03) before inserting them into the formula and (ii) remember that the capital-output ratio depends on what the going value k(t) is, so that you may want to use the symbol 1/0 for the capital-output ratio, to be replaced by the appropriate number once you know the value of k(t) (as in the next question). (d) Now, using a calculator if you need to and starting from the point k(t)- 3 at time t, calculate the value of k(t+1). Likewise do so if k(t) 10. From these answers, can you guess in what range the long-run value of k in Ping Pong must lie?

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26-021-323
Development Economics
Problem Set 2
(1) This question involves detailed numerical calculations and will not be a typical exam
question. But it will help you understand the basic growth model.
The economy of Ping Pong produces its output using capital and labor. The labor force is
growing at 2% per year. At the same time, there is "labor-augmenting" technical progress
at the rate of 3% per year, so that each unit of labor is becoming more productive.
(a) How fast is the effective labor force growing?
(b) Now let's look at production possibilities in Ping Pong. We are going to plot a graph
with capital per unit of effective labor (k) on the horizontal axis and output per effective
unit of labor () on the vertical axis. Here is a description of the "production function" that
relates to k. As long as k is between 0 and 3, output (ŷ) is given by = (1/2)k. After k
trosses the level 3, an additional unit of k only yields one-seventh additional units of ŷ. This
happens until & reaches 10. After that, each additional unit of k produces only one-tenth
additional units of 9. (To draw this graph, you may want to measure the ŷ axis in larger
units than the k axis; otherwise, the graph is going to look way too flat.) On a graph, plot
this production function. What are the capital-output ratios at k= 2, 6, and 12? Note that
the answers you get in the case k 6 and 12 are different from what happens at the margin
(when you increase capital by one unit). Think about why this is happening.
Note: in class, we talked about the output-capital ratio rather than the capital-output ratio.
These are just flip sides of the same coin! If 0 is the output-capital ratio, the capital-output
ratio is nothing but its reciprocal, which is 1/0.
(e) Now let us suppose that Ping Pong saves 20% of its output and that the capital stock
is perfectly durable and does not depreciate from year to year. If you are told what k(t) is,
describe precisely how you would calculate (t+1). In your formula, note two things: (i)
convert all percentages to fractions (e.g., 3% 0.03) before inserting them into the formula
and (ii) remember that the capital-output ratio depends on what the going value k(t) is, so
that you may want to use the symbol 1/0 for the capital-output ratio, to be replaced by the
appropriate number once you know the value of k(t) (as in the next question).
(d) Now, using a calculator if you need to and starting from the point k(t) 3 at time t,
calculate the value of k(t+1). Likewise do so if (t) 10. From these answers, can you
guess in what range the long-run value of & in Ping Pong must lie?
Transcribed Image Text:26-021-323 Development Economics Problem Set 2 (1) This question involves detailed numerical calculations and will not be a typical exam question. But it will help you understand the basic growth model. The economy of Ping Pong produces its output using capital and labor. The labor force is growing at 2% per year. At the same time, there is "labor-augmenting" technical progress at the rate of 3% per year, so that each unit of labor is becoming more productive. (a) How fast is the effective labor force growing? (b) Now let's look at production possibilities in Ping Pong. We are going to plot a graph with capital per unit of effective labor (k) on the horizontal axis and output per effective unit of labor () on the vertical axis. Here is a description of the "production function" that relates to k. As long as k is between 0 and 3, output (ŷ) is given by = (1/2)k. After k trosses the level 3, an additional unit of k only yields one-seventh additional units of ŷ. This happens until & reaches 10. After that, each additional unit of k produces only one-tenth additional units of 9. (To draw this graph, you may want to measure the ŷ axis in larger units than the k axis; otherwise, the graph is going to look way too flat.) On a graph, plot this production function. What are the capital-output ratios at k= 2, 6, and 12? Note that the answers you get in the case k 6 and 12 are different from what happens at the margin (when you increase capital by one unit). Think about why this is happening. Note: in class, we talked about the output-capital ratio rather than the capital-output ratio. These are just flip sides of the same coin! If 0 is the output-capital ratio, the capital-output ratio is nothing but its reciprocal, which is 1/0. (e) Now let us suppose that Ping Pong saves 20% of its output and that the capital stock is perfectly durable and does not depreciate from year to year. If you are told what k(t) is, describe precisely how you would calculate (t+1). In your formula, note two things: (i) convert all percentages to fractions (e.g., 3% 0.03) before inserting them into the formula and (ii) remember that the capital-output ratio depends on what the going value k(t) is, so that you may want to use the symbol 1/0 for the capital-output ratio, to be replaced by the appropriate number once you know the value of k(t) (as in the next question). (d) Now, using a calculator if you need to and starting from the point k(t) 3 at time t, calculate the value of k(t+1). Likewise do so if (t) 10. From these answers, can you guess in what range the long-run value of & in Ping Pong must lie?
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