Compound Growth and Present Discounted Value
Compound Growth and Present Discounted Value
Two formulae:
y a(1 r )x
a = "principal" ; r = annual growth rate ; x = number of years.
x (completed 0 1 2 3 4 5
years)
100 104 108.16 112.49 116.99 121.67
Growth of a bank deposit or a price index
y a(1 nr )nx
Example: repeat previous example, but with interest added twice per year.
x (completed 0 ½ 1 1½ 2 2½ 3
years)
y a(1 nr )nx 100 102 104.04 106.12 108.24 110.4 112.61
Nominal and effective interest or growth
rate
When interest added more than once per year, effective interest rate is
higher than nominal rate.
In previous example, nominal interest rate is 4% per year but effective rate
is 4.04% (= actual growth per year).
EAR (1 nr )n 1
Check: in previous example, r = 0.04 ; n = 2. So:
EAR (1 0.04
2
)2
1 4.04 ; the same as col 4 of table above.
Present discounted value
We use compound growth formula y a(1 r )x to find y, the future value,
with a, the initial value of the variable, assumed known.
Suppose we have the reverse problem; we know the future value, y, and
want to find the initial value, a.
y
Then by simple algebra: a
(1r )x
Here a is said to be the present discounted value (PV ) of y.
It is what we would need to invest now in order to reach a given value, y, in
x years' time (with r given, of course).
a
Confusing change of notation: y
(1 r )x
Present value and economic behaviour
The figure below shows how mix of interest and principal varies from one
instalment to next.
Chapter 11:
The exponential and
logarithmic functions
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Preliminary: revision of the inverse
function
• Any pair of values, x0, y0, that satisfies one function automatically
satisfies the other.
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Figure 11.1: Inverse functions (not to
scale)
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The exponential function y 10 x
Key feature is a constant base (in this case, 10) raised to a power that is a
function of x (in this case, x)
When x = 0, y 10 1 . So y intercept is 1.
0
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Figure 11.2: Graphs of y = 10x and x = log10y
(not to scale)
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The function inverse to y 10 x
In example above, y 3x 4 , we found the inverse by elementary
algebra. But this won't work with y 10 x (Why not?)
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Key features of graph of x log10 y
• when y = 1, x = 0 (because 100 = 1)
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Figure 11.3: Graph of y = log10x (x-axis
not to scale)
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Demystifying logs
• Figs 11.2a and 11.2b both convey exactly the same information,
presented slightly differently.
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Rules for manipulating logs (rule 11.2)
1. If A B, then log A log B
2. log( AB ) log A log B KEY RULE
3. From 2, if A = B, log( A2 ) log A log A 2(log A)
Generalizing, log( An ) n(log A)
4. log( BA ) log A log B (reverses rule 2)
5. From 4, if A = B, log( AA ) log A log A 0 ; so log(1) 0
6. log(10) = 1 (because 101 = 10)
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Using logs to solve problems
Example: If the price index rises at 5% per year, how long before the price
level doubles?
Solution: y a(1 r )x with a = 100, r = 0.05, y = 200, x to be found.
Thus 200 100(1.05)x 2 (1.05)x
log(2) log[(1.05)x ] x log[1.05] (rules 1, 3)
(years)
x log[1.05] 0.02119 14.2
log(2) 0.3010
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Natural logarithms
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Figure 11.2 and 12.8
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