# Question on a passage from N.OKISHIO's Constant and Variable Capital

Sorry if this a dumb question, I am an undergrad economics student and am currently reading this paper from Okishio on the Marxist concept of Constant and Variable capital, my issue is on this following excerpt:

I can't figure out how he is able to get equation $$2.16$$. I have the feeling that he is dividing inequalities $$2.14$$ and $$2.15$$, but can't think of a reason he's allowed to do that. Either that or he is assuming something from the relationship between these equations/variables that I'm not seeing.

For reference, $$2.3$$ is $$B= (wT)/p_2$$, and the only assumptions are: $$1-a_1>0$$, i.e. net output from production, and the starting equations $$p_1>a_1p_1 + \tau_1w$$ and $$p_2>a_2p_1 + \tau_2w$$.

$$i = 1$$ - Means of Production
$$i = 2$$ - Consumable goods
$$p_i$$ - Unit price of good $$i$$
$$\tau_i$$ - Labour power required for production of a unit of $$i$$
$$a_i$$ - Means of production required for the production of a unit of the good $$i$$
$$T$$ - Amount of Working Hours per day
$$B$$ - Affordable consumable goods at a money wage rate '$$w$$' and working '$$T$$' hours a day

• Division is allowed here, if the terms you divide by are different from zero. And that division is exactly what gives you the result (as you suspected).
– BrsG
Sep 13, 2021 at 10:30
• That's a relief! Thank you so much :) Sep 13, 2021 at 11:17
• For some reason I can't upvote your answer @BrsG? Neither can I make the question closed and answered, I'm new here sorry :( The only action it allows me to do is flag it Sep 13, 2021 at 11:32

Turns out it was a typo, when deducing equation $$2.15$$ by substituting $$2.3$$ into $$2.2$$ the result should be
$$\frac{p_1}{p_2} < \frac{T-\tau_2B}{Ta_2}$$