Microeconomics › Section J · Monopolistic competition and oligopoly › Topic J.1

Monopolistic competition

Most markets you actually visit - restaurants, salons, clothing brands, cafés - belong to neither of the course's two poles. Many rivals compete, but each sells something a little different, so each has a sliver of price power. The result is a market that acts like monopoly in the short run and like competition in the long run.

In this topic

  • The structure between the poles
  • How differentiation bends demand
  • The short run: a small monopolist
  • Worked example: from profit to tangency
  • The tangency equilibrium
  • Excess capacity: the price of variety
  • Worked example: judging a café street
  • Advertising and branding
  • The three structures, side by side
  • Common mistakes to avoid
  • Key takeaways

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