Talk:Price point/Archives/2019

Latest comment: 5 years ago by Damian Yerrick in topic Isn't it clearly wrong?


Isn't it clearly wrong?

We always chart f(x) with the x on the horizontal axis. So for example how many people are alive who are currently, 1,2,3...100.

It only makes sense to chart this with the ages as the x axis and the number of people alive at that age as the y axis. The other direction makes 0 sense. Don't you agree?

Likewise isn't it obvious that the quantity demanded is a function of the price? Logically shouldn't the price be along the x axis (like the ages) and the number demanded at that price on the y axis (like the number of people alive at each age)?

Of course I am not suggesting changing standard economic practice. But then this article can clearly explain that it's backward compared to graphing any other algabraic function... — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2A02:AB88:2481:FC80:81FB:DAE3:B7F9:D9C6 (talk) 23:41, 17 August 2018 (UTC)

There exists a general convention in mathematics to plot the independent variable on the X axis and the dependent on the Y. Supply curves and demand curves in economics are an exception. It is conventional in plots of these particular curves to put price (the independent variable) on the Y axis and quantity demanded (the dependent variable) on the X axis. --Damian Yerrick (talk) 20:47, 7 May 2019 (UTC)