MATH1003 Tutorial 11

Finding Absolute Maximum/Minimum Values

If f is continuous on a closed and bounded interval [a, b], it must attain absolute maximum and minimum in [a, b].
To find the absolute maximum and minimum values of f on [a, b],

• First locate the critical values of f in the interior interval (a, b), where f Õ (c) = 0 or f Õ (c) does not exist,
• then evaluate f (x) at all critical values and the two endpoints a and b,
• among the values evaluated, the largest value is the absolute maximum and smallest value is the absolute
minimum value of f .

Example 1. Let f (x) = x3 ≠ 12x2 + 45x, find the absolute maximum and absolute minimum of f
(a) on the interval [1, 4], (b) on the interval [2, 6]
(a) Since f Õ (x) = 3x2 ≠ 24x + 45, the critical values of f are

3x2 ≠ 24x + 45 = 0
x2 ≠ 8x + 15 = 0
(x ≠ 3)(x ≠ 5) = 0
x = 3 or 5

but 5 is not in the interval [1, 4], we would evaluate

f (1) = 1 ≠ 12 + 45 = 34
f (3) = 27 ≠ 108 + 135 = 54
f (4) = 64 ≠ 192 + 180 = 52

So the absolute maximum is 54 at x = 3 and the absolute minimum is 34 at x = 1.

(b) Both the critical values x = 3 and x = 5 are in the interval [2, 6]. Evaluate

f (2) = 8 ≠ 48 + 90 = 50
f (3) = 54
f (5) = 125 ≠ 300 + 225 = 50
f (6) = 216 ≠ 432 + 270 = 54

so the absolute maximum is 54 at x = 3 and x = 6, the absolute minimum is 50 at x = 2 and x = 5.

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Example 2. Let g(x) = x(x ≠ 8)1/3 be defined on [0, 9], find the absolute maximum and absolute minimum of g.
Since
x
g Õ (x) = (x ≠ 8)1/3 + (x ≠ 8)≠2/3
3
3(x ≠ 8) x
= +
3(x ≠ 8)2/3 3(x ≠ 8)2/3
4x ≠ 24
=
3(x ≠ 8)2/3
4(x ≠ 6)
=
3(x ≠ 8)2/3

so g Õ (x) = 0 when x = 6 and g Õ (x) does not exist when x = 8.

The critical values of g are x = 6 and x = 8. Evaluate

g(0) = 0
Ô
g(6) = 6(≠2)1/3 = ≠ 432 ¥ ≠7.5595
3

g(8) = 0
g(9) = 9
Ô
The absolute maximum of g is 9 at x = 9 and the absolute minimum of g is ≠ 3 432 at x = 6.

Finding Absolute Extremum for Functions Continuous on an Interval

Suppose f is continuous on an interval (possibly not closed, or not bounded), and f has only one critical value c.
If f has a local maximum at c, then f has the absolute maximum at c.
If f has a local minimum at c, then f has the absolute minimum at c.

ln x
Example 3. Let f (x) = ≠ Ô , if possible, find the absolute maximum and minimum of f (x).
x
Note that the domain of f is (0, Œ).
The derivative of f is
Ô 1 1
x· ≠ ln x · Ô
2 x
f (x) = ≠
Õ x
x
ln x ≠ 2
=
2x3/2
so f Õ (x) = 0 only when x = e2 , and

x 0 < x < e2 e2 x > e2

fÕ ≠ 0 +
f √ local minimum ¬
2
f (x) has only one critical value at x = e2 , which is local minimum where f (e2 ) = ≠ .
e
2
Therefore the absolute minimum of f is ≠ , but f has no absolute maximum.
e

2
Applied Optimization Problems
Ô
Example 4. Find the point on the curve y = x + 3 that is closest to the origin and the corresponding distance
from the origin.
The distance of a point on the curve to the origin is
 
x2 + y 2 = x2 + x + 3
Ô
so we want to find the absolute minimum of f (x) = x2 + x + 3 where x œ [≠3, Œ).
2x + 1
f Õ (x) = Ô
2 x2 + x + 3
1
f Õ (x) = 0 only when x = ≠ , and
2
x ≠3 < x < ≠ 12 ≠ 12 x > 12
fÕ ≠ 0 +
f √ local minimum ¬
Ú Ô
1 1 1 1 11
f (x) has only one critical value at x = ≠ , which is local minimum where f (≠ ) = (≠ )2 + (≠ ) + 3 = .
2 2 2 2 2
1
Hence f (x) attains absolute minimum at x = ≠ .
Ú Ú 2
1 1 5
At x = ≠ , y = ≠ + 3 = .
2 2 A2 Ú B Ô
1 5 11
Therefore the point is (x, y) = ≠ , and the distance from the origin is .
2 2 2

Example 5. Suppose you own a tour bus and you book groups of 20 to 70 people for a day tour. The ticket price
per person is $30 minus $0.25 for every ticket sold. If gas and other miscellaneous costs are $200, how many tickets
should you sell to maximize your profit? What is the ticket price?
Let x be the number of tickets to be sold, where 20 Æ x Æ 70.
The ticket price per person is C(x) = 30 ≠ 0.25x.
So the profit is

P (x) = xC(x) ≠ 200

= x(30 ≠ 0.25x) ≠ 200
= ≠0.25x2 + 30x ≠ 200

then

P Õ (x) = ≠0.5x + 30

and P Õ (x) = 0 only when x = 60. The only critical value of P (x) is x = 60.
Evaluate

P (20) = ≠0.25(20)2 + 30(20) ≠ 200 = 300

P (60) = ≠0.25(60)2 + 30(60) ≠ 200 = 700
P (70) = ≠0.25(70)2 + 30(70) ≠ 200 = 675

The profit is maximized when 60 tickets are sold, where the price is C(60) = 30 ≠ 0.25(60) = $15.

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Example 6. Suppose you want to construct a square-based open-top box whose volume is 32 m3 using paper. What
is the minimum amount (in area) of paper required and the dimension of the box?
Let the side length of the square be ¸ and the height of the box be h, then we want to minimize

A = ¸2 + 4¸h

where
V = ¸2 h = 32
32
we can write h = , so
¸
128
A = ¸2 +
¸
where ¸ > 0.
dA 128
= 2¸ ≠ 2
d¸ ¸
2¸3 ≠ 128
=
¸2
2(¸3 ≠ 64)
¸2
dA
so = 0 only when ¸3 = 64, or ¸ = 4.
d¸
¸ 0<¸<4 4 ¸>4
dA
d¸ ≠ 0 +
A √ local minimum ¬

A has only one critical value at ¸ = 4, which is local minimum where A(4) = 48.
32 32
Hence A attains absolute minimum at ¸ = 4, h = 2 = 2 = 2.
¸ 4
The amount of paper is 48 m2 and the dimension of the box is 4m ◊ 4m ◊ 2m.