Microeconomics
Cournot Duopoly Calculator
Solve quantities, market price and operating profits for two Cournot competitors with linear demand and constant marginal costs.
Inputs and results stay in this browser. Currency symbols are illustrative; use any consistent currency.
Understand Cournot duopoly
One idea, three depths
Choose how deeply to explain Cournot duopoly
Cournot duopoly: Solve quantities, market price and operating profits for two Cournot competitors with linear demand and constant marginal costs.
Age 5Explain it to a 5-year-oldStart with a picture
Imagine using Cournot duopoly to answer this question: solve quantities, market price and operating profits for two cournot competitors with linear demand and constant marginal costs? Enter Demand price intercept (a), Inverse-demand slope (b), Firm 1 marginal cost, and 1 other input; the calculator shows Market price. For example: With P = 100 − Q, firm costs $10 and $20, equilibrium quantities are 33.33 and 23.33, price is $43.33, and profits are about $1,111.11 and $544.44. The answer tells you Market price.
Age 15Explain it to a 15-year-oldConnect it to the formula
Each firm chooses quantity while treating its rival's quantity as fixed. The closed-form solution assumes simultaneous choice, homogeneous output and no capacity constraints. The rule is For P = a − b(q1 + q2): q1 = (a − 2c1 + c2) ÷ 3b and q2 = (a − 2c2 + c1) ÷ 3b. Its input values are Demand price intercept (a), Inverse-demand slope (b), Firm 1 marginal cost, Firm 2 marginal cost, and the main result is Market price. For example: With P = 100 − Q, firm costs $10 and $20, equilibrium quantities are 33.33 and 23.33, price is $43.33, and profits are about $1,111.11 and $544.44.
CollegeExplain it at college levelState the model precisely
This calculator evaluates a microeconomics relationship while holding unmodelled conditions constant. The implemented relation is For P = a − b(q1 + q2): q1 = (a − 2c1 + c2) ÷ 3b and q2 = (a − 2c2 + c1) ÷ 3b, evaluated from Demand price intercept (a), Inverse-demand slope (b), Firm 1 marginal cost, Firm 2 marginal cost to produce Market price. Each firm chooses quantity while treating its rival's quantity as fixed. The closed-form solution assumes simultaneous choice, homogeneous output and no capacity constraints. The result depends on comparable definitions, units, populations and time periods. It estimates a relationship; it does not establish causation or replace current primary data.
The economic question
Solve quantities, market price and operating profits for two Cournot competitors with linear demand and constant marginal costs.
Why this relationship is useful
Each firm chooses quantity while treating its rival's quantity as fixed. The closed-form solution assumes simultaneous choice, homogeneous output and no capacity constraints.
Inputs that must be comparable
- Demand price intercept (a) (minimum 0).
- Inverse-demand slope (b) (minimum 0).
- Firm 1 marginal cost (minimum 0).
- Firm 2 marginal cost (minimum 0).
Use one market, firm, population and time period throughout; mixing definitions can make a correctly calculated number economically meaningless.
The model
For P = a − b(q1 + q2): q1 = (a − 2c1 + c2) ÷ 3b and q2 = (a − 2c2 + c1) ÷ 3b
From inputs to output
The calculator combines Demand price intercept (a), Inverse-demand slope (b), Firm 1 marginal cost, Firm 2 marginal cost and reportsMarket price together with Firm 1 quantity, Firm 2 quantity, Firm 1 operating profit, Firm 2 operating profit. Change one assumption at a time to identify what actually drives the estimate.
How to read Market price
Read the sign, magnitude, unit and period together. The result quantifies the relationship in “solve quantities, market price and operating profits for two cournot competitors with linear demand and constant marginal costs”; it does not by itself prove that one input caused another.
A worked economic example
With P = 100 − Q, firm costs $10 and $20, equilibrium quantities are 33.33 and 23.33, price is $43.33, and profits are about $1,111.11 and $544.44.
Where interpretation can fail
Do not use the result when the input definitions, units or formula assumptions do not match the real situation. This is an educational model, not financial, investment, tax or policy advice; verify material decisions against primary data and professional guidance.
Supporting sourcesAcademic referencesPrimary standards, textbooks and complete citations
Standards, reading and academic references
Use the calculator as the worked interaction, then consult the primary standards and academic textbooks listed below. MW SysArc links to the original sources; the explanation on this page is original and does not reproduce them.
Principles of Economics 3e
Read the free OpenStax economics textbookCite this book
- APA 7
- Greenlaw, S. A., Shapiro, D., & MacDonald, D. (2022). Principles of economics 3e. OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/principles-economics-3e/pages/1-introduction
- MLA 9
- Greenlaw, Steven A., et al. Principles of Economics 3e. OpenStax, 2022, https://openstax.org/books/principles-economics-3e/pages/1-introduction.
- Chicago author-date
- Greenlaw, Steven A., David Shapiro, and Daniel MacDonald. 2022. Principles of Economics 3e. Houston, TX: OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/principles-economics-3e/pages/1-introduction.
OpenStax entries are free to read online. Follow the licence shown on each linked source before redistributing or adapting its content.
Reuse the page responsiblyCite this pageAPA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, BibTeX and RIS
These formats cite this calculator page itself. They are separate from the academic references above, which support the mathematical method and terminology.
APA 7
MW SysArc. (2026, July 21). Cournot Duopoly Calculator. MW SysArc Tools. https://economics.mwsysarc.com/micro/cournot-duopoly
MLA 9
MW SysArc. “Cournot Duopoly Calculator.” MW SysArc Tools, 21 July 2026, https://economics.mwsysarc.com/micro/cournot-duopoly. Accessed 31 Aug. 2026.
Chicago 17
MW SysArc. “Cournot Duopoly Calculator.” MW SysArc Tools. Published July 21, 2026. Accessed August 31, 2026. https://economics.mwsysarc.com/micro/cournot-duopoly.
Harvard
MW SysArc (2026) ‘Cournot Duopoly Calculator’, MW SysArc Tools. Published 21 July 2026. Available at: https://economics.mwsysarc.com/micro/cournot-duopoly (Accessed: 31 August 2026).
BibTeX and RIS records
BibTeX
@misc{mwsysarc_cournot_duopoly_2026,
author = {{MW SysArc}},
title = {Cournot Duopoly Calculator},
howpublished = {MW SysArc Tools},
year = {2026},
url = {https://economics.mwsysarc.com/micro/cournot-duopoly},
note = {Published July 21, 2026; accessed August 31, 2026}
}RIS
TY - ELEC
AU - MW SysArc
TI - Cournot Duopoly Calculator
T2 - MW SysArc Tools
PY - 2026
DA - 2026-07-21
Y2 - 2026-08-31
UR - https://economics.mwsysarc.com/micro/cournot-duopoly
N1 - Published July 21, 2026
ER -Clear answers
Frequently asked questions
What does the Cournot duopoly do?
Solve quantities, market price and operating profits for two Cournot competitors with linear demand and constant marginal costs.
How does the Cournot duopoly work?
The calculator applies this formula: For P = a − b(q1 + q2): q1 = (a − 2c1 + c2) ÷ 3b and q2 = (a − 2c2 + c1) ÷ 3b. Each firm chooses quantity while treating its rival's quantity as fixed. The closed-form solution assumes simultaneous choice, homogeneous output and no capacity constraints.
What can I learn from the Cournot duopoly?
It helps you explore the relationship described by this tool: Solve quantities, market price and operating profits for two Cournot competitors with linear demand and constant marginal costs. Change one input at a time to observe how it affects the result.
Does MW SysArc receive or store what I enter?
No. The calculation runs locally in your browser. MW SysArc does not receive or store your calculation inputs.
How should I use the result?
Use the result as an estimate or educational aid. Check important financial, business or policy decisions with qualified sources and current data.
Last reviewed . Calculations tested .