Section 15.

8: Lagrange Multipliers

x2 y 2
Motivating example: What is the rectangle of largest area that can be inscribed in the ellipse + = 1?
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MATH 233 Fall 2020 15.8: Lagrange Multipliers

x2 y 2
Consider the level curves of the function f (x, y) = 4xy and the graph of g(x, y) = + = 1.
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MATH 233 Fall 2020 15.8: Lagrange Multipliers

Theorem (Lagrange Multipliers): Let f be a differentiable function in a region of R2 that contains the smooth curve
C given by g(x, y) = k. Assume f has a local extreme value on C at a point P (a, b). Then ∇f (a, b) and ∇g(a, b) are both
orthogonal to the tangent line to C at P and so there is a real number λ (a Lagrange multiplier) such that ∇f (a, b) = λ∇g(a, b).
MATH 233 Fall 2020 15.8: Lagrange Multipliers

x2 y 2
So what are the dimensions of the rectangle with largest area that can be inscribed in the ellipse + = 1?
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MATH 233 Fall 2020 15.8: Lagrange Multipliers

1. Find the point on the plane 2x − y + z = 3 that is closest to the point (0, 1, 1).
MATH 233 Fall 2020 15.8: Lagrange Multipliers

2. Find the absolute extrema of f (x, y) = 2x3 + y 4 on the region {x2 + y 2 ≤ 1}.