12.

Optimization and Practical Optimization

Tony U
University of Macau

Outline

1 Absolute Extrema

2 The Second Derivatives Test for Absolute Extrema

3 Practical Optimization

Absolute Extrema

Absolute Extrema
Absolute maximum: The largest value of the function on the
interval.
Absolute minimum: The smallest value of the function on the
interval.
Extreme value property: a function f (x) that is continuous on
the closed interval a x b attains its absolute extrema on
the interval either at an endpoint of the interval (a or b) or at
a critical value of f (note: for a number c in the domain of f ,
if either f (c) = 0 or f (c) is undefined, then c is said to be a
critical value of f.).
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Absolute Extrema

Procedure to find the absolute extrema of a continuous function f

on a closed interval a x b
Step 1: Find the critical values of f in the interval.
Step 2: Compute f (x) at these critical values and at the
endpoints x = a and x = b.
Step 3: The largest and smallest values of f (x) obtained in
Step 2 are the absolute maximum and absolute minimum
respectively.

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Absolute Extrema

Example 1.
Find the absolute maximum and absolute minimum of the following
function f (x) = 2x 3 + 3x 2 12x 7 on the interval 3 x 0.

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Absolute Extrema

Example 1.
Find the absolute maximum and absolute minimum of the following
function f (x) = 2x 3 + 3x 2 12x 7 on the interval 3 x 0.
Sol.: Step 1. Find x such that f (x) = 0,
6x 2 + 6x 12 = 0
(x + 2)(x 1) = 0
x = 2 or

x = 1(rejected)

Step 2. f (3) = 2, f (2) = 13 and f (0) = 7.

Ans: The absolute maximum and minimum are 13 and -7
respectively.
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Absolute Extrema

Example 2.

It is estimated that between the hours of noon and 7:00 p.m., the
speed of highway traffic flowing past a certain downtown exit is
approximately S(t) = t 3 9t 2 + 15t + 45 miles per hour, where t
is the number of hours past noon. At what time between noon and
7:00 p.m. is the traffic moving the fastest, and at what time
between noon and 7:00 p.m. is it moving the slowest?

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Absolute Extrema

Sol.: Step 1. Find t such that S (t) = 0,

3t 2 18t + 15 = 0
(t 1)(t 5) = 0
t = 1 or

t=5

Step 2. S(0) = 45, S(1) = 52, S(5) = 20 and S(7) = 52.

Ans: At 5 p.m., the traffic is moving at the slowest speed 20 miles
per hour. At 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., the traffic is moving at the fastest
speed 52 miles per hour.

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The Second Derivatives Test for Absolute Extrema

The Second Derivatives Test for Absolute Extrema

Suppose that f is continuous on an interval (either closed or

opened) on which x = a is the only critical number and that
f (a) = 0.
If f (a) > 0, then f (a) is the absolute minimum of f on the
interval.
If f (a) < 0, then f (a) is the absolute maximum of f on the
interval.

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The Second Derivatives Test for Absolute Extrema

Example 3.

Find the absolute maximum and absolute minimum of the

following function
16
f (x) = x 2 + ,
x
i. on the interval 1 x 3;
ii. on the interval x > 0.

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The Second Derivatives Test for Absolute Extrema

i. on the interval 1 x 3

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The Second Derivatives Test for Absolute Extrema

i. on the interval 1 x 3
Sol.: First find x such that f (x) = 0,
2x

16
x2

= 0

2x 3 16 = 0
x

= 2,

f (2) = 2 + 32
= 6 > 0, so f (2) = 12 is the absolute minimum of
23
f on 1 x 3.
f (1) = 17 and f (3) = 14.33, so f (1) = 17 is the absolute
maximum of f on 1 x 3.

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The Second Derivatives Test for Absolute Extrema

ii. on the interval x > 0.

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The Second Derivatives Test for Absolute Extrema

ii. on the interval x > 0.

Sol.: Since x = 2 is only the critical point on x > 0 and f (2) > 0,
therefore f (2) = 12 is the absolute minimum of f on x > 0.
When x tends to infinity then x 2 tends to infinity and 16/x tends
to 0, so the function f has no absolute maximum on x > 0.

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The Second Derivatives Test for Absolute Extrema

Example 4.
The total revenue in dollars from the sale of q units of a certain
commodity is R(q) = 2q 2 + 68q 128. At what level of
production, the revenue will be maximized?

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The Second Derivatives Test for Absolute Extrema

Example 4.
The total revenue in dollars from the sale of q units of a certain
commodity is R(q) = 2q 2 + 68q 128. At what level of
production, the revenue will be maximized?
Sol.: Solve R (x) = 0,
4q + 68 = 0
q = 17,
R (17) = 4 < 0, therefore R(17) = 450 is the absolute
maximum.
Ans: When the level of production is 17 units, the revenue will be
the maximum with $450.
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Practical Optimization

Practical Optimization

Step 1. Decide precisely what you want to optimize. Set up a

function for the quantity that you want to maximize or
minimize.
Step 2. Determine the domain of this function.
Step 3. Find the (first order) critical values of the function.
Note that these values must be in the domain of the function.
Step 4. Use the procedure described in the previous page to
optimize the function. Interpret the results.

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Practical Optimization

Example 5.

A bus company will charter a bus that holds 50 people to groups

of 35 or more. If a group contains exactly 35 people, each person
pays $60. In large groups, everybodys fare is reduced by $1 for
each person in excess of 35. Determine the size of the group for
which the bus companys revenue will be greatest.

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Practical Optimization

Sol.: Let R(x) be the revenue function with respect to number of

people x, then R(x) = x[60 (x 35)] = 95x x 2 , 35 x 50.
By solving R (x) = 0,
95 2x
x

= 0
= 47.5,

R (47.5) = 2 < 0, so R(47.5) is the absolute maximum of R(x).

However x should be an integer, then we find revenue with the
nearest integer x = 47 and 48, R(47) = R(48) = 2736.
Ans: The optimal size of the group is 47 or 48 people, so that the
bus companys revenue will be the maximum at $2736.

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Practical Optimization

Example 6.

You wish to use 300 meters of fencing to surround two identical

adjacent rectangular plots, as shown in the accompanying figure.
How should you do this to make the combined area of the plots as
large as possible?

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Practical Optimization

Sol.: Let x m and y m be length and width of the rectangle

respectively, then

4x + 3y = 300
2xy = A,

(1)
(2)

where A m2 is the combined area of the plots. Solve (1) and (2),
we have

4 
8
A(x) = 2x 100 x = 200x x 2 ,
(3)
3
3
where 0 x 75.

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Practical Optimization

Solve A (x) = 0,
200

16
x
3
x

= 0
= 37.5,

since A (37.5) = 16/3 < 0, therefore A(37.5) is the absolute

maximum. Sub. x = 37.5 into (1), y = 50. The combined area of
the plots is 2xy = 2(37.5)(50) = 3750 m2 .
Ans: The combined area of plots is the maximum at 3750 m2
when the length and width of the rectangle are 37.5 m and 50 m
respectively.

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Practical Optimization

Example 7.

You are standing on the bank of a river that is 1 mile wide and
want to get to a town on the opposite bank, 1 mile upstream. You
plan to row a straight line to some point P on the opposite bank
and then walk the remaining distance along the bank. To what
point P should you row to reach the town in the shortest possible
time if you can row at 4 miles per hour and walk at 5 miles per
hour?

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Practical Optimization

Sol.: Let x mile be the distance between point P and the directly
opposite point on the opposite bank,
T

P x V
1 mile
1 mile

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Practical Optimization

Let f (x) in hours be the function of the total time used to reach
the town with respect to x,
f (x) =

1x
x2 + 1
+
,
4
5

(1)

where 0 x 1. Now solve f (x) = 0,

x
1

5
4 x2 + 1
p
2x 4 x 2 + 1

16(x 2 + 1)

4
,
3

25x

since x is not in the interval, so the absolute minimum should be

on the ends of interval, f (0) = 0.45 and f (1) = 0.35.
Ans: Roll all the way to town with minimum time 0.35 hour.
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Practical Optimization

Example 8.

A manufacturer can produce VCRs at a cost of $125 apiece and

estimates that if they are sold for p dollars apiece, consumers will
buy approximately q = f (p) = 1, 000e 0.02p each week.
a. Express the profit P as a function of p.
b. At what price should the manufacturer sell the VCRs to
maximize profit?

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Practical Optimization

a. Express the profit P as a function of p.

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Practical Optimization

a. Express the profit P as a function of p.

Sol.: Profit = Revenue - Cost,
P(p) = pq 125q = 1000(p 125)e 0.02p .

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(1)

Practical Optimization

b. At what price should the manufacturer sell the VCRs to

maximize profit?

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Practical Optimization

b. At what price should the manufacturer sell the VCRs to

maximize profit?
Sol.: Solve P (p) = 0,
1000e 0.02p 20(p 125)e 0.02p

= 0

p 125 = 50
p = 175,
since
P (175) = 40e 0.02(175) +0.4(175125)e 0.02(175) = 0.60 < 0,
thus P(175) = 1, 509.87 is the maximum value.
Ans: The maximum profit is $1,509.87 when the price is $175 per
unit.
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