Before progressing to a graphical analysis, we should add a word about costs. The supply schedules are based primarily on the cost of producing the product in question, and we frequently assume that all of the costs associated with supply are incorporated in the supply schedules. In Individual choice we will explore cases where costs additional to those incurred by producers may be relevant. For example, coal burning power plants emit pollutants into the atmosphere; but the individual supplier may not take account of these pollutants, which are costs to society at large, in deciding how much to supply at different prices. Stated another way, the private costs of production would not reflect the total, or full social costs of production. For the moment the assumption is that no such additional costs are associated with the markets we analyze.
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