Calculus Solving for Present value of payments

  • Thread starter Thread starter alexs2jennisha
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Calculus Value
Click For Summary

Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating the present value of payments for a car valued at $30,000, with a focus on continuous payments over a period of 5 years and a specified interest rate. Participants are exploring different approaches to solve the problem, including the implications of continuous versus discrete payments.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to apply a formula for present value but questions the correctness of their calculations and the interpretation of variables. Some participants seek clarification on the meaning of the interest rate notation and the concept of continuous payments. Others suggest that the problem may require a different formula for continuous payments, indicating a shift from algebraic to calculus-based reasoning.

Discussion Status

The discussion is active, with participants providing insights and questioning assumptions. There is no explicit consensus on the correct approach, but some guidance has been offered regarding the need for a continuous payment formula. Multiple interpretations of the problem are being explored.

Contextual Notes

Participants are grappling with the notation of the interest rate and the definition of continuous payments. There is uncertainty about the appropriate formulas to use for the calculations, particularly in distinguishing between continuous and discrete payment scenarios.

alexs2jennisha
Messages
14
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement



You value a car to be $30,000. If you plan to make continuous payments over 5 years and at an interest rate of r = :1.

1) How much should you pay per year so that the present value of your total payments in 30; 000?
2)What if instead you decided to let your payments increase with time and pay at a rate of $6000 + t1000 per year, where t is measured in years. How long would it take you to pay o the car ? (Note the equation you get might be dicult to solve, so you can use a graphing calculator to estimate.)


Homework Equations



The formula that i think i should use is

PV = PMT(1-(1/(1+i)^n)) / i



The Attempt at a Solution





For part 1:

solving for PMT I got 7913.48. Did i do that correctly?


For part 2:
Im not too sure how to approach this. Do i use the same equation and solve for t? I assume the t is the same as the n i used in my pv formula, is this correct?

Thanks
 
Physics news on Phys.org
What does r = :1. mean? What does making 'continuous payments' mean?
 
alexs2jennisha said:

Homework Statement



You value a car to be $30,000. If you plan to make continuous payments over 5 years and at an interest rate of r = :1.

1) How much should you pay per year so that the present value of your total payments in 30; 000?
2)What if instead you decided to let your payments increase with time and pay at a rate of $6000 + t1000 per year, where t is measured in years. How long would it take you to pay o the car ? (Note the equation you get might be dicult to solve, so you can use a graphing calculator to estimate.)


Homework Equations



The formula that i think i should use is

PV = PMT(1-(1/(1+i)^n)) / i



The Attempt at a Solution





For part 1:

solving for PMT I got 7913.48. Did i do that correctly?


For part 2:
Im not too sure how to approach this. Do i use the same equation and solve for t? I assume the t is the same as the n i used in my pv formula, is this correct?

Thanks

What does r = :1 mean? Do you mean to write r = 0.1? Is that the *annual* rate (that is, the interest rate is 10% per year)?

Your formula is for discrete payments at regularly-spaced points in time, but the problem asked for a *continuous* stream of payments, and presumably using *continuous* compounding/discounting. That will turn an arithmetic/algebraic problem into a calculus problem! So, you need the formulas for continuous-time discounting.
 
I'm pretty for q1 you need to use a continuous paying annuity formula which is PV=PMT*((1-v^n )/delta) where delta=ln(1+r) and v=1/(1+r)
 
bagram said:
I'm pretty for q1 you need to use a continuous paying annuity formula which is PV=PMT*((1-v^n )/delta) where delta=ln(1+r) and v=1/(1+r)

I am 100% sure you should not use this formula.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • · Replies 20 ·
Replies
20
Views
3K
Replies
4
Views
2K
Replies
14
Views
7K
Replies
10
Views
6K
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
1K