<p>I assume what you're asking based on your comments is: "How can I visualize indifference curves for 3 goods?" I can think of three options:</p>

<p>1) Use a tool like Matlab, or its open-source equivalent, Octave, to plot 3 dimensional indifference curves. <a href="https://www.gnu.org/software/octave/doc/interpreter/Three_002dDimensional-Plots.html" rel="nofollow">Here</a> is a tutorial on how to do that.</p>

<p>2) Make a series of 2-dimensional indifference curves for two of the goods, and fix a different level of the third good for each one, that is, plot a series of cross-sections of the 3 dimensional box.</p>

<p>3) Using paper and pencil, draw a general $n$ dimensional Edgeworth box, then, set $n = 3$.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-03T15:28:14.843Z
Drawing a $n$ dimensional Edgeworth box by hand might be pretty hard ;-)
The Almighty Bob
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-03T14:26:20.087Z
2015-06-03T14:26:20.087Z
NickJ
<p>I have had luck making 3-D plots with R and Plotly:
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBj-M_WyyoM" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBj-M_WyyoM</a></p>
<p>Although as others mention, it would be very difficult to visualize 3 goods on a 3-D contour plot (essentially 4 dimensions, 3 goods and utility)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2017-03-30T00:37:26.243Z
2020-11-25T16:49:38.840Z
2020-11-25T16:49:38.840Z
Anders
<p>Yea. If you have n number of goods and you would like to visualize it, you should use n-dimension of graph. Therefore, in your case, it is three dimensional. In terms of visualizing it, you can:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Manually draw it on paper although this will not help the visualization a lot.</p></li>
<li><p>If you are looking for software, I think that any software that can help you visualize a graph using certain set function can help you. For me, I personally will go for Matematica, but there are other programs like Matlab, which are also fine. Just look for programs that can get certain mathematics function and project it into a 3D graph.</p></li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-03T15:51:03.290Z
2015-06-03T15:51:03.290Z
ExtremelySeriousChicken
<p>If there are 3 types of goods(x,y,z) and 2 consumers (a,b) how can I draw the Edgeworth box? It must be 3 dimensional, right?</p>

<p>Is there a software or online tool that I can use to draw a 3D Edgeworth box?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-03T05:15:26.553Z
1. Is this a homework question?
Giskard
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-03T05:16:25.650Z
2. What exactly do you want to draw? Utility functions are not needed to draw the box itself. Do you also need to draw the contract curve?
Giskard
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-03T05:35:17.503Z
Is this a mathematical economics question? I know there has been some discussion about it in the meta. I read this question as how to define the space in $R^3$ that satisfies the constraints that all of $x, y, z \geq 0$ and the utility function. An edgeworth box is just a visualisation of that space.
Jamzy
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-03T07:11:58.507Z
I think a lot of software can plot it, e.g. Maple, and Latex. As to online tools, there're a lot online Latex website you can use for free.
Metta World Peace
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-03T07:29:27.053Z
This is an assignmet I'm working on. I need to draw an edgeworth box and find all pareto efficient allocations. A contract curve would help clarify my thought
economist
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-03T07:33:55.883Z
Hi and welcome to economics.SE! I edited your question and removed the utility functions, as you don't need them to answer your question (as denesp already pointed out). @denesp doesn't look like a homework question to me.
The Almighty Bob
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-03T07:34:38.050Z
@Jamzy I am pretty certain that this does not count as a math econ question.
The Almighty Bob
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-03T07:52:31.107Z
@TheAlmightyBob OP says it is an assignment.
Giskard
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-03T15:28:18.340Z
@denesp So I guess I was wrong ;-) To the topic: I can't answer the drawing part of the question (Mathematica can do it so I would check Wolfram Alpha, but I never tried), so this is just a comment: An "Edgeworth box" for one good is a projection from $\mathbb{R}^2$ (what player 1 and player 2 has) onto $\mathbb{R}$, for two goods it is from $\mathbb{R}^4$ to $\mathbb{R}^2$ and for three from $\mathbb{R}^6$ to $\mathbb{R}^3$, so your guess is correct.
The Almighty Bob
<microeconomics><general-equilibrium><self-study>
How can I draw an edgeworth box with 3 different goods?
economist
# How can I draw an edgeworth box with 3 different goods?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-06-03)

If there are 3 types of goods(x,y,z) and 2 consumers (a,b) how can I draw the Edgeworth box? It must be 3 dimensional, right?

Is there a software or online tool that I can use to draw a 3D Edgeworth box?

**Tags:** microeconomics, general-equilibrium, self-study

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 1. Is this a homework question?  
> **username_1**: 2. What exactly do you want to draw? Utility functions are not needed to draw the box itself. Do you also need to draw the contract curve?  
> **username_2**: Is this a mathematical economics question? I know there has been some discussion about it in the meta. I read this question as how to define the space in $R^3$ that satisfies the constraints that all of $x, y, z \geq 0$ and the utility function. An edgeworth box is just a visualisation of that space.  
> **username_3**: I think a lot of software can plot it, e.g. Maple, and Latex. As to online tools, there're a lot online Latex website you can use for free.  
> **username_0**: This is an assignmet I'm working on. I need to draw an edgeworth box and find all pareto efficient allocations. A contract curve would help clarify my thought  
> **username_4**: Hi and welcome to economics.SE! I edited your question and removed the utility functions, as you don't need them to answer your question (as denesp already pointed out). @denesp doesn't look like a homework question to me.  
> **username_4**: @username_2 I am pretty certain that this does not count as a math econ question.  
> **username_1**: @username_4 OP says it is an assignment.  
> **username_4**: @denesp So I guess I was wrong ;-) To the topic: I can't answer the drawing part of the question (Mathematica can do it so I would check Wolfram Alpha, but I never tried), so this is just a comment: An "Edgeworth box" for one good is a projection from $\mathbb{R}^2$ (what player 1 and player 2 has) onto $\mathbb{R}$, for two goods it is from $\mathbb{R}^4$ to $\mathbb{R}^2$ and for three from $\mathbb{R}^6$ to $\mathbb{R}^3$, so your guess is correct.  

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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2015-06-03. Score: 4

I assume what you're asking based on your comments is: "How can I visualize indifference curves for 3 goods?" I can think of three options:

1) Use a tool like Matlab, or its open-source equivalent, Octave, to plot 3 dimensional indifference curves. [Here](https://www.gnu.org/software/octave/doc/interpreter/Three_002dDimensional-Plots.html) is a tutorial on how to do that.

2) Make a series of 2-dimensional indifference curves for two of the goods, and fix a different level of the third good for each one, that is, plot a series of cross-sections of the 3 dimensional box.

3) Using paper and pencil, draw a general $n$ dimensional Edgeworth box, then, set $n = 3$.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: Drawing a $n$ dimensional Edgeworth box by hand might be pretty hard ;-)  

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### Answer by username_6 on 2017-03-30. Score: 2

I have had luck making 3-D plots with R and Plotly:
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBj-M_WyyoM>

Although as others mention, it would be very difficult to visualize 3 goods on a 3-D contour plot (essentially 4 dimensions, 3 goods and utility)


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### Answer by username_7 on 2015-06-03. Score: 1

Yea. If you have n number of goods and you would like to visualize it, you should use n-dimension of graph. Therefore, in your case, it is three dimensional. In terms of visualizing it, you can:

1. Manually draw it on paper although this will not help the visualization a lot.
2. If you are looking for software, I think that any software that can help you visualize a graph using certain set function can help you. For me, I personally will go for Matematica, but there are other programs like Matlab, which are also fine. Just look for programs that can get certain mathematics function and project it into a 3D graph.


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