Lecture 4

APPLICATIONS
A S S O C . PRO F.DR . N I TI M A A S C H A R IYA PHOTH A
Contents
❖Related Rates
❖Max-Min Problems of 1-Variable Function
❖Max-Min Problems of 2-Variable Function
Related Rates
The steps in doing a related rates problems
Problem 1 : Suppose the liquid is to be cleared of sediment by allowing
it to drain through a conical filter that is 16 cm high and has a radius of
4 cm at the top. Suppose also that the liquid flows out of the cone at a
constant rate of 2 𝑐𝑚3 /𝑚𝑖𝑛
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(a) Find the formula that expresses the
rate at which the depth of the liquid is r
changing in terms of the depth.
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(b) At what rate is the depth of the liquid y
changing at the instant when the
liquid in the cone is 8 cm deep?

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Max-Min Problems
a) Determine whether a function 𝑓 has any absolute extrema on a
given interval 𝐼.
b) If there are absolute extrema, determine where they occur and
what the absolute maximum and minimum values are.

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Absolute Extrema of 1-variable function
Definition. A function 𝑓 is said to have an absolute maximum on an
interval 𝐼 at 𝑥0 if 𝑓 𝑥0 is the largest value of 𝑓 on 𝐼; that is, 𝑓 𝑥0 ≥
𝑓 𝑥 for all 𝑥 in the domain of 𝑓 that are in 𝐼. Similarly, 𝑓 is said to
have an absolute minimum on 𝐼 at 𝑥0 if 𝑓 𝑥0 is the smallest value of
𝑓 on 𝐼; that is, 𝑓 𝑥0 ≤ 𝑓 𝑥 for all 𝑥 in the domain of 𝑓 that are in 𝐼.
If 𝑓 has either an absolute maximum or absolute minimum on 𝐼 at 𝑥0 ,
then 𝑓 is said to have an absolute extremum on 𝐼 at 𝑥0 .

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Absolute Extrema on Finite Closed
Intervals
Theorem. If 𝑓 has an absolute extremum on an open interval 𝑎, 𝑏 ,
then it must occur at a critical number of 𝑓.

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A Procedure for Finding the Absolute Extrema of a
Continuous Function 𝑓 on a Finite Closed Interval [𝑎, 𝑏].

Step 1. Find the critical numbers of 𝑓 in (𝑎, 𝑏)

Step 2. Evaluate 𝑓 at all the critical numbers and at the
endpoints 𝑎 and 𝑏.
Step 3. The largest of the values in Step 2 is the absolute
maximum value of 𝑓 on [𝑎, 𝑏] and the smallest value is
the absolute minimum.

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Problem 2 : A closed cylindrical can is to hold 1 liter of liquid. How
should we choose the height and radius to minimize the amount of
material needed to manufacture the can?

Let
r
h=height of the can
r=radius of the can
h
S=surface of the can
V=volume of the can

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Problem 3 : An offshore oil well located at a point W that is 5 km from
the closest point A on a straight shoreline. Oil is to be piped from W
to a shore point B that is 8 km from A by piping it on a straight line
under water from W to some shore point P between A and B and then
on to B via pipe along the shoreline. If the cost of laying pipe is
$1,000,000/km under water and $500,000/km over land, where
should the point P be located to minimize the cost of laying the pipe?

A P B
x
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Problem 4 : Find the shortest distance from the point
(1, 0, –2) to the plane x + 2y + z = 4.
Problem 5 : A rectangular box without a lid is to be made from 12 m2
of cardboard. Find the maximum volume of such a box.

Let the length, width, and

height of the box (in meters)
be x, y, and z.