Yhdentekevyyskäyrät

Yhdentekevyyskäyrät, or indifference curves, are a fundamental concept in microeconomics, particularly in consumer theory. They represent combinations of two goods that provide a consumer with the same level of utility or satisfaction. Each point on an indifference curve signifies a bundle of goods that the consumer considers equally desirable. The consumer is indifferent between any two bundles lying on the same curve.

Indifference curves typically slope downwards from left to right, indicating that to obtain more of one good, a consumer must give up some of another good to maintain the same level of utility. They are also convex to the origin, reflecting the principle of diminishing marginal rate of substitution. This means that as a consumer has more of one good, they are willing to give up less of the other good to gain an additional unit of the first.

A map of several indifference curves is known as an indifference map. Higher indifference curves represent higher levels of utility, meaning consumers prefer bundles on curves further from the origin. Indifference curves for the same consumer cannot intersect. If they did, it would imply a contradiction in the consumer's preferences, as a single bundle would have to yield two different levels of utility simultaneously. The shape and position of indifference curves are unique to each individual's preferences.