APPLICATIONS TO

MAXIMA AND MINIMA

• As an example, the area of a rectangular lot,
expressed in terms of its length and width, may also
be expressed in terms of the cost of fencing. Thus
the area can be expressed as A = f(x). The common
task here is to find the value of x that will give a
maximum value of A. To find this value, we set
dA/dx = 0.
 STEPS IN SOLVING MAXIMA AND
MINIMA PROBLEMS
1. Identify the constant, say cost of fencing.
2. Identify the variable to be maximized or minimized,
say area A.
3. Express this variable in terms of the other relevant
variable(s), say A = f(x, y).
4. If the function shall consist of more than one
variable, expressed it in terms of one variable (if
possible and practical) using the conditions in the
problem, say A = f(x).
5. Differentiate and equate to zero, dA/dx = 0.
• What number exceeds its square by the maximum
amount?
• The sum of two numbers is k. Find the minimum
value of the sum of their squares.
• The sum of two numbers is k. Find the minimum
value of the sum of their cubes.
The sum of two positive numbers is 2. Find the smallest
value possible for the sum of the cube of one number
and the square of the other.