What is the “DFI”?
The DFI is the sum of the consumers’ and the producers’ surplus and provides a combined measure two things: (a) the strength of the demand and (b) the extent to which the demand is met. In the first round, the DFI is just the sum of the successful bids (i.e., it is the area under the demand curve up to the capacity limit). The DFI, and not the clearing price, is the right measure of the popularity of a course.
