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CPP
BASIC MATHEMATICS: SHEET – 10
Maxima & Minima

Absolute Maximum Value of a function : A function f(x) is said to have the greatest value at a point ‘a’ in its
domain if f(x)  f(a) for all x in the domain of f(x).

In this case, ‘a’ is called the point of maximum.

Absolute Minimum Value of a function: A function f(x) is said to have the smallest value or absolute minimum
value at a point ‘a’ in its domain if f(a)  f(x) for all x in the domain of f(x).

Local Maximum Value of a function: We say that c is a point of local maximum of a function f(x) if there is an
open interval I containing c such that f(x)  f(c) for all x  I.

Also, in this case, f(c) is called a local maximum value of f(x).

Local Minimum value of function: We say that c is a point of local minimum of a function f(x) if there is an open
interval I containing c such that f(c)  f(x) for all x  I.

Behaviour of f(x) at local maxima and local minima

Case I: When c is a point of local maxima.

In this case, f(x) is increasing for value of x slightly less than c; it ceases to increase at x = c and then decreases.

 f(x)  0 on [c – h, c] and f (x)  0 on [c, c + h].

Thus, f(x) changes sign from positive to negative as x increase though c.

Case II: When c is a point of local minima

In this case f(x) is decreasing for values of x slightly less than c; it cease to decrease at x = c

and then increases for values of x slightly greater than c.

 for small positive values of h, we have

f(x)  0 on [c – h, c] and f(x)  0 on [c, c + h]

Thus f(x) changes sign from negative to positive as x increases though c.

Extremum Values: The maximum or minimum value of a function is called an extreme or extremum value of the
function.

Theorem: If f(x) exists on an interval [a, b] and f(x) has a maximum or minimum value at x = c  ]a, b[ then f(c)
= 0.

Stationary Points: The points at which f(c) = 0 are known as stationary points or turning points.

Remarks: i) A function can have at the most one absolute maximum and at the most one absolute minimum.

ii) A function may have more than one local maximum and more than one local minimum.

iii) A local minimum may be greater than a local maximum.

iv) Local maximums and local minimums occur alternately.

In the given figure, A and C are the points of local maxima, while B and D are the points of local minima.

Clearly, the local minimum at D is greater than the local maximum at A.

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Tests for Finding Local Extremum Values:

We must remember that

i) c is a point of local maximum if f(c) = 0 and f(x) changes sign from positive to negative as x increase
through c.

ii) c is a point of local minimum if f(c) = 0 and f(x) changes sign from negative to positive as x increase
through c.

Working Rule for Finding Extremum Values:

In order to find the extremum values of a given function f(x) by using the first-derivative test, we proceed
according to the following steps.

1. Find f(x).

2. Solve f(x) = 0. Let its roots be a, b, c, etc. Then, these are the candidates for maxima or minima.

3. We test the function at each one of these values. Let us take x = c.

4. Determine the sign of f(x) for values of x slightly less than c and for values of x slightly greater than c.

Conclusion:

i) If f(x) changes sign from positive to negative as x increases through c then x = c is a point of maximum.

ii) If f(x) changes sign from negative to positive as x increases through c then x = c is a point of minimum.

iii) If f(x) does not change sign as x increases through c, we say that x is neither a point of maximum nor a
point of minimum.

In this case, x = c is called a point of inflexion.

Similarly, we may deal with the other roots of f(x) = 0 and examine them for maxima or minima.

Working Rule for Finding Extremum Values:

1. Find f(x).

2. Solve f(x) = 0.

Each value of x so obtained is a candidate for maximum or minimum. Let x = c be one of its points.

3. Find f(x) and put x = c to get f(c).

Now, if f(c)  0 then x = c is a point of local maximum

if f(c)  0 then x = c is a point of local minimum;

if f(c) = 0 then use the first-derivative test.

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EXERCISE

(Q:1-11)Find the maximum or minimum values of the function:

1. y = (5x – 1)2 + 4

2. y = (x – 3)2 + 9

3. y = 25x2 + 5 – 10x

4. y = 9 – (x – 3)2

5. f(x) = (x – 3)4

6. f(x) = x3 – 6x2 + 9x + 15

7. f(x) = –x3 + 12x2 – 5

8. f(x) =sin 2x + 5

9. f(x) =–|x + 4| + 6

10. f(x) =|sin 4x + 3|

x 2
11. f(x)   ,x0
2 x

12. Show that (x5 – 5x4 + 5x3 – 1) has a local maximum when x = 1, a local minimum when x = 3, and neither
when x = 0.

13. Find the local maximum and local minimum of f(x) = x3 + 3x + 7 in the interval [3, 5]

14. Investigate for what values of x, the function f(x) = 12x5 45x4 + 40x3 + 6 is a maximum or minimum.

15. Find the points of local maxima and local minima as well as the corresponding local maximum and local
minimum values for the function
f(x) = (x – 1)3 (x + 1)2.

16. Find the points of inflection of the curve y = x3 6x2 + 12x  3.

17. Let f(x) = sin3 x + 3 sin2 x + 5 on [0, /2]. Find the local maximum and local minimum of f(x)

18. Find the maximum profit that a company can make, if the profit function is given by p(x) = 41 + 24x – 8x2.

19. Find the local maxima and local minima, and the corresponding local maximum and local minimum
values of the following functions:
i) f(x) = x 1  x , where x  0
x
ii) f(x)  , where 1  x  4
(x  1)(x  4)

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ANSWER

1. min. value = 4

2. min. value = 9

3. min. value = 4

4. max. value=9

5. min. value = 0

6. local max. value is 19 at x = 1 and local min. value is 15 at x = 3

7. local max. value is 251 at x = 8 and local min. value is –5 at x = 0

8. max. value = 6, min. value = 4

9. max. value = 6

10. max. value = 4, min. value = 2

11. Min. value is 2 at x = 2

13. Local min. value is -29 at x = -3 and Local max. value is 147 at x = 5

14. Here domain =R,an open interval,also f is a polynomial of odd degree so range is also R,hence no max.
and no min.
 1  3456
15. f   
 5  3125

16. x=2

17. Local min. value is 5 at x = 0 and Local max. value is 7 at x = /2

18. 59
2 2
19. i) f   , x = 2/3 is point of local maxima
3 3 3
ii) f(2) = –1, x = 2is point of local maxima
f(–2) = –1/9, x = –2 is point of local minima

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