Cameron Howlett Professor Spencer Bartholomew Math 1210 4/6/14 Findings on Pipeline Project Efficiency Our mathematical calculations

have found the most efficient route for the pipeline to travel through. It will involve a diagonal line heading southeast through the private land that was in our way and then a straight line east to the refinery through the Bureau of Land Managements land, but before we explain the specifics we will report our calculations of the more costly routes. a) i) The first proposition was to go all the way around the private land sticking only to BLM land, costing us only what the pipeline itself would cost. Although there is no land to pay for, this method adds distance, 8 miles, specifically it would be this cost, 52 miles x $500,000 = $26,000,000 ii) Second would be the way through the mountain and around the private land, $2,000,000 + $320,000 + ($120,000 x 4 months) + (44 miles x $500,000) = $24,820,000 b) i) The shortest path that heads directly towards the refinery is modeled like with this, ii) miles x $850,000 = $26,200,000

Next would be the path directly south across the private ground and then due east the rest of the way through the BLM ground, and that would be,

[($500,000 + $350,000) x 12 miles] + ($500,000 x 32 miles) = $26,200,000

c) And last would be the our most efficient route would be modeled with this equation, $850,000 -x + $500,000x = C(x)

To find the optimal value for x to solve this we had to take the derivative of the equation above this would give us,
x x

-$500,000

We want this equation to equal zero because this tells us that the equation is at a local minimum or maximum, but since we know that it is an upward parabola, since the lead term is positive, we know that it has to be a local minimum when this happens. After solving for this function by moving x over to one side with multiple steps and getting it by itself it equates to the number 8.728715609 miles this means the picture looks like this,

And costs a total of $24,248,636.25, this is our calculated most efficient route from the drill site to the refinery. d) The graph of the cost function -x looks like this, x x

Reflection In calculus I have learned a lot about algebra itself, I have realized my limitations and how I have so much left to learn. In calculus we have gone over a lot of theoretical concepts and learned how theoretical equations can be used to discover real world facts, Isaac Newton used math a lot to discover things that other people did not know. In many fields math is paramount to discovery and prediction, it saves lives and eliminates both physical and financial risk in business and architecture, it allows for proofs of concepts in the scientific world, as well as advanced predictions. In my areas of interest calculus is not very useful, but I can see how the critical thinking skills that are required for it, and therefore learned by doing it, can help in many ways and it makes sense that it is required, however much I dislike it. I accept that math is, to me, a necessary evil. It is extremely useful in multiple facets throughout science, engineering, business, and all kinds of other subjects, but I am afraid that I

will never enjoy math as I do most other subjects, it never feels like useful information to me, as I have never had a problem that needed anything more than basic math to solve. Without that experience I do not accept its use any further than intellectually, however hard anyone tries.