A consistent, reflexive duality framework of production: An application of quasi-concave conjugacy theory (Q1122463)

According to Shephard's duality theory of production for multiproduct firms, the cost function for the dual technology is the distance function for the primal technology [cf. \textit{R. W. Shephard}, Theory of cost and production functions (1970; Zbl 0244.90011)]. However, for single-product firms, the cost and distance functions do not generate dual technologies. To remedy this theoretical inconsistency, the authors consider a different duality scheme. Their approach is based essentially on the conjugacy theory of quasi-concave (or quasi-convex) functions as introduced by \textit{H. J. Greenberg} and \textit{W. P. Pierskalla} [Cahiers Centre Etud. Rech. Oper. 15, 437-448 (1973; Zbl 0276.90051)]. Finally, one of the main duality results of the present paper is applied to a problem of nonparametric analysis.