Essay

Evaluating the Realism of a Utility Function

An economist critiques the utility function u(t, c) = (t - 6)²(c - 45), which represents an individual's preferences for daily free time (t) and consumption (c). The critic points out that for a bundle like t=10 and c=40, the function yields a negative utility value, which they claim is nonsensical. Evaluate this criticism. Does a negative utility value invalidate the function's ability to model this individual's preferences? Justify your position by explaining the role of utility values in this type of economic model.

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Updated 2025-07-28

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CORE Econ

Economics

Social Science

Empirical Science

Science

Economy

Introduction to Microeconomics Course

The Economy 2.0 Microeconomics @ CORE Econ

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