The Stackelberg Duopoly is a strategic model in economics that describes a market situation where two firms compete with one another, but one firm (the leader) makes its production decision before the other firm (the follower). This model highlights the importance of first-mover advantage, as the leader can set output levels that the follower must react to. The leader anticipates the follower’s response to its output choice, allowing it to maximize its profits strategically.
In this framework, firms face a demand curve and must decide how much to produce, considering their cost structures. The followers typically produce a quantity that maximizes their profit given the leader's output. The resulting equilibrium can be analyzed using reaction functions, where the leader’s output decision influences the follower’s output. Mathematically, if is the leader's output and is the follower's output, the total market output determines the market price based on the demand function.
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