Learn how utility functions derive demand functions and their role in maximizing consumer satisfaction and economic decision making.

A utility function measures a consumer’s preference and satisfaction with different goods or services. As part of rational choice theory, it helps economists analyze how consumers make decisions to ...

Mathematics of Operations Research, Vol. 41, No. 1 (February 2016), pp. 146-173 (28 pages) This paper investigates the problem of maximizing expected terminal utility in a (generically incomplete) ...

Utility functions offer a means to encode objectives and preferences in investor portfolios. The functions allow one to place a score on outcomes and then identify optimal portfolios by maximizing ...