MA 141-008 * Fall 2010 * 4.6: Optimization Steps to Solve 1. Draw a diagram if at all possible. 2.

Introduce notation and identify variables. 3. Write down the equation to be maximized or minimized (objective equation) and the equation that describes the constraint (constraint equation). 4. Use the constraint equation to rewrite the objective equation in terms of one variable. 5. Find the absolute maximum or minimum of the (new) objective equation. First Derivative Test for Absolute Extreme Values: Suppose that c is a critical number of a continuous function f dened on an interval. If f (x) > 0 for all x < c and f (x) < 0 for all x > c, then f (c) is the absolute maximum value of f If f (x) < 0 for all x < c and f (x) > 0 for all x > c, then f (c) is the absolute minimum value of f Second Derivative Test for Absolute Extreme Values: Suppose that c is a critical number of a continuous function f dened on an interval. If f (x) < 0 for all x in that interval, then f (c) is the absolute maximum value of f If f (x) > 0 for all x in that interval, then f (c) is the absolute minimum value of f Sample Problems 1. A farmer wants to enclose a rectangular plot with a fence. He has 500 ft of fencing and a large building is on one side of the eld and so he wont need any fencing on that side. (a) Determine the dimensions of the eld that will enclose the largest area. (b) Determine the largest area that can be fenced in. 2. If 1200 cm2 of material is available to make a box with a square base and open top, nd the largest possible volume of the box. 3. We want to construct a box whose base length is 3 times the base width. The material used to build the top and bottom cost $10 per ft2 and the material used to build the sides cost $6 per ft2 . If the box must have a volume of 50 ft3 determine the dimensions that will minimize the cost to build the box. 4. A cylindrical can is to be made to hold 1.5 L of oil. Find the dimensions that will minimize the cost of the metal to manufacture the can. (We assume each part of the can costs the same to manufacture.) 5. Find the point on the parabola y 2 = 2x that is closest to the point (1,4). 6. Car B is 30 miles directly east of Car A and begins moving west at 90 mph. At the same moment Car A begins moving north at 60 mph. What will be the minimum distance between the cars and at what time t does the minimum distance occur? 7. Determine the area of the largest rectangle that can be inscribed in a circle of radius 4. 8. The sum of two positive numbers is 16. What is the smallest possible value of the sum of their squares?
Some problems from: http://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Classes/CalcI/MoreOptimization.aspx and http://www.math.ucdavis.edu/ kouba/CalcOneDIRECTORY/maxmindirectory/MaxMin.html