This thesis investigates the existence and determinants of the elasticity of demand for motor gasoline. The research can be divided into four main stages. In the first stage, time series data of fifteen member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) are analyzed. The ratio of gasoline price per gallon to the per capita GNP is introduced in this research to explain the variability in the size of the price elasticities of demand over the various countries. The ratio is called the "Price Factor" and designated as P.F. The introduction of P.F. established the basis for meaningful inter-country comparisons of elasticity behavior. Three elasticity functions of P.F. are estimated via time series analysis. In addition, time series analysis revealed a functional dependence of demand for motor gasoline on the per capita GNP lagged by one year. In the second part of the thesis, the annual data of the various countries are examined cross sectionally. Based on the cross sectional analysis, demand is estimated as a function of P.F. The third stage of the thesis is devoted to the validation of the research. Both the time series and the cross section findings are utilized for the retrogressive forecasting of demand levels in three countries of the OECD that were not included in the analysis of the first two stages. The validation section is concluded by choosing one of the elasticity functions estimated via time series analysis as the most accurate forecasting model. The forecasts provided by that specific function were quite satisfactory. President Carter's energy program is examined in the fourth stage of the thesis using the function chosen in stage three. A temporal price profile is generated until the year 1990. This profile would achieve the President's goals for national consumption of motor gasoline. It is found thDL a 22% annual increase of gasoline price, to be introduced starting the year 1979 would achieve the goal of a 10% reduction in demand by the year 1985. Such a price profile suggests much higher taxation than proposed in the President's energy program.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Michigan, 1934. / Cover title. By Richard L. Huntington and George Granger Brown. "Reprinted from Industrial and engineering chemistry, vol. 27 ... June, 1935." eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. "Literature cited": p. 707.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Michigan, 1926. / Cover title. By E.H. Leslie and E.H. Potthoff. "Presented under the title: 'Cracking liquid petroleum oils' before the Division of petroleum chemistry at the 71st meeting of the American chemical society, Tulsa, Okla., April 5 to 9, 1926." "Reprinted from Industrial and engineering chemistry, vol. 18, no. 8 ... August, 1926."

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Michigan, 1926. / Cover title. By E.H. Leslie and E.H. Potthoff. "Presented under the title: 'Cracking liquid petroleum oils' before the Division of petroleum chemistry at the 71st meeting of the American chemical society, Tulsa, Okla., April 5 to 9, 1926." "Reprinted from Industrial and engineering chemistry, vol. 18, no. 8 ... August, 1926."

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Colorado State University, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references.

Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Auburn University, 2007. / Abstract. Includes bibliographic references (p.111-131).

This thesis presents an analysis of the pricing behaviour of firms in Canadian retail gasoline markets. The time series of retail prices for certain Canadian cities can be categorized as exhibiting one of two distinct patterns. In many cities, retail prices remain unchanged for many weeks at a time, despite frequent changes to the wholesale gasoline price. In other cities, retail prices cycle, increasing sharply, and declining more slowly. This thesis addresses questions arising from the observation of these patterns. The first essay considers a theoretical model of price setting behavior, and asks whether the number of stations operated by each firm in a market can determine whether constant prices or price cycles are observed. Constant prices are found to exist only when firms are of similar size. On the other hand, cycle equilibria can be constructed when the firms are of similar size, but also when their sizes differ greatly. Evidence of a negative relationship between price stability and the presence of small firms is also found through an examination of a panel data set of retail prices for a number of Canadian cities. The second essay examines the response of retail prices to wholesale price movements in the presence of a retail price cycle. A simple model based on the predictions of the theory is constructed, and estimated using data for the city of Windsor, Ontario. I find that a new cycle is initiated by a price increase whenever the distance between the previous retail price and the current wholesale price becomes sufficiently small. In addition, retail prices are found to be more responsive to wholesale prices over the increasing portion of the cycle. Finally, when the asymmetric error correction model of Borenstein, Cameron, and Gilbert (1997) is estimated, a more rapid response to wholesale price increases than to decreases is indicated. This asymmetry is shown to be consistent with my structural model, which thus provides an additional potential explanation for the regularities found in previous studies.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of Economics, June 2000. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

This thesis presents an analysis of the pricing behaviour of firms in Canadian retail gasoline markets. The time series of retail prices for certain Canadian cities can be categorized as exhibiting one of two distinct patterns. In many cities, retail prices remain unchanged for many weeks at a time, despite frequent changes to the wholesale gasoline price. In other cities, retail prices cycle, increasing sharply, and declining more slowly. This thesis addresses questions arising from the observation of these patterns. The first essay considers a theoretical model of price setting behavior, and asks whether the number of stations operated by each firm in a market can determine whether constant prices or price cycles are observed. Constant prices are found to exist only when firms are of similar size. On the other hand, cycle equilibria can be constructed when the firms are of similar size, but also when their sizes differ greatly. Evidence of a negative relationship between price stability and the presence of small firms is also found through an examination of a panel data set of retail prices for a number of Canadian cities. The second essay examines the response of retail prices to wholesale price movements in the presence of a retail price cycle. A simple model based on the predictions of the theory is constructed, and estimated using data for the city of Windsor, Ontario. I find that a new cycle is initiated by a price increase whenever the distance between the previous retail price and the current wholesale price becomes sufficiently small. In addition, retail prices are found to be more responsive to wholesale prices over the increasing portion of the cycle. Finally, when the asymmetric error correction model of Borenstein, Cameron, and Gilbert (1997) is estimated, a more rapid response to wholesale price increases than to decreases is indicated. This asymmetry is shown to be consistent with my structural model, which thus provides an additional potential explanation for the regularities found in previous studies. / Arts, Faculty of / Vancouver School of Economics / Graduate

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1933 R81