Maxima and Minima Problems
Maxima and Minima Problems
Maxima and Minima Problems
Find the smallest value possible for the sum of the cube of one number and the square of the other. Solution 5
Click here to show or hide the solution Let x and y = the numbers Equation (1)
Equation (2)
Use
answer
Problem 6 Find two numbers whose sum is a, if the product of one to the square of the other is to be a minimum.
Solution:
Click here to show or hide the solution Let x and y = the numbers
answer
Problem 7 Find two numbers whose sum is a, if the product of one by the cube of the other is to be a maximum. Solution:
Click here to show or hide the solution Let x and y the numbers
answer
Problem 8 Find two numbers whose sum is a, if the product of the square of one by the cube of the other is to be a maximum. Solution:
Click here to show or hide the solution Let x and y the numbers
answer
Problem 12 A rectangular field of fixed area is to be enclosed and divided into three lots by parallels to one of the sides. What should be the relative dimensions of the field to make the amount of fencing minimum? Solution
Fence:
width = length
answer
Problem 13 Do Ex. 12 with the words "three lots" replaced by "five lots". Solution
Fence:
answer
Problem 14 A rectangular lot is bounded at the back by a river. No fence is needed along the river and there is to be 24-ft opening in front. If the fence along the front costs $1.50 per foot, along the sides $1 per foot, find the dimensions of the largest lot which can be thus fenced in for $300. Solution
Area:
Dimensions: 84 ft 112 ft
answer
Solution:
Diameter = height
answer
Problem 26 Find the most economical proportions for a cylindrical cup. Solution:
Radius = height
answer
Problem 27 Find the most economical proportions for a box with an open top and a square base. Solution:
Area:
answer
Problem 29 The sum of the length and girth of a container of square cross section is a inches. Find the maximum volume. Solution: Click here to show or hide the solution
Volume
answer
Problem 30 Find the proportion of the circular cylinder of largest volume that can be inscribed in a given sphere. Solution: Click here to show or hide the solution From the figure:
Volume of cylinder:
answer
Problem 31 In Problem 30 above, find the shape of the circular cylinder if its convex surface area is to be a maximum. Solution: Click here to show or hide the solution Convex surface area (shaded area):
answer Problem 32 Find the dimension of the largest rectangular building that can be placed on a right-triangular lot, facing one of the perpendicular sides. Solution:
Dimensions: a b
answer
Problem 33 A lot has the form of a right triangle, with perpendicular sides 60 and 80 feet long. Find the length and width of the largest rectangular building that can be erected, facing the hypotenuse of thetriangle.
Solution:
By similar triangle:
Thus,
Dimensions: 50 ft 24 ft
answer
Problem 34 Solve Problem 34 above if the lengths of the perpendicular sides are a, b. Solution:
By similar triangle:
Thus,
Dimensions: answer
Problem 46 Given point on the conjugate axis of an equilateral hyperbola, find the shortest distance to the curve. Solution: Click here to show or hide the solution Standard equation:
Thus,
Distance d:
Nearest Distance:
answer
Problem 47 2 3 Find the point on the curve a y = x that is nearest the point (4a, 0). Solution: Click here to show or hide the solution
from
answer
Problem 41 In Problem 39, if the strip is L in. wide, and the width across the top is T in. (T < L), what base width gives the maximum capacity? Solution: Click here to show or hide the solution
Area:
answer
Problem 42 From a strip of tin 14 inches a trapezoidal gutter is to be made by bending up the sides at an angle of 45. Find the width of the base for greatest carrying capacity. Solution: Click here to show or hide the solution
Area:
answer
Problem 48 2 3 Find the shortest distance from the point (5, 0) to the curve 2y = x . Solution: Click here to show or hide the solution
from
, (okay)
(meaningless)
answer Another Solution: Click here to show or hide the solution Differentiate
Equation of normal:
Problem 49 2 3 Find the shortest distance from the point (0, 8a) to the curve ax = y . Solution: Click here to show or hide the solution
From
is meaningless, use
answer Problem 50 2 2 Find the shortest distance from the point (4, 2) to the ellipse x + 3y = 12. Solution:
from
Equation of normal:
Problem 51 n Find the shortest distance from the point (1 + n, 0) to the curve y = x , n > 0. Solution:
by inspection: x = 1
Problem 52 2 3 Find the shortest distance from the point (0, 5) to the ellipse 3y = x . Solution:
Equation of normal:
Area of rectangle
for
(meaningless) for
answer
Problem 54 A cylindrical tin boiler, open at the top, has a copper bottom. If sheet copper is m times as expensive as tin, per unit area, find the most economical proportions. Solution:
Click here to show or hide the solution Let k = cost per unit area of tin mk = cost per unit area of copper C = total cost
Volume
Height = m radius
answer
Problem 55 Solve Problem 54 above if the boiler is to have a tin cover. Deduce the answer directly from thesolution of Problem 54. Solution:
Volume
Height = (m + 1) radius
answer
Problem 72 A light is to be placed above the center of a circular area of radius a. What height gives the best illumination on a circular walk surrounding the area? (When light from a point source strikes a surface obliquely, the intensity of illumination is
where is the angle of incidence and d the distance from the source.) Solution:
Thus,
answer
Problem 73 It is shown in the theory of attraction that a wire bent in the form of a circle of radius a exerts upon a particle in the axis of the circle (i.e., in the line through the center of the circle perpendicular to the plane) an attraction proportional to
where h is the height of the particle above the plane of the circle. Find h, for maximum attraction. (Compare with Problem 72 above) Solution:
Attraction:
answer
Problem 74 In Problem 73 above, if the wire has instead the form of a square of side to
Use
answer
Problem From the right triangle ABC shown below, AB = 40 cm and BC = 30 cm. Points E and F areprojections of point D from hypotenuse AC to the perpendicular legs AB and BC, respectively. How far is D from AB so that length EF is minimal?
Solution
By Pythagorean theorem
Distance of D from side AB for minimum length of d answer The same problem was solved by Geometry alone. See the solution here: Distance between projection points ] Problem 69
A man on an island 12 miles south of a straight beach wishes to reach a point on shore 20 miles east. If a motorboat, making 20 miles per hour, can be hired at the rate of $2.00 per hour for the time it is actually used, and the cost of land transportation is $0.06 per mile, how much must he pay for the trip? Solution:
answer
Problem 70 A man in a motorboat at A (Figure 42) receives a message at noon calling him to B. A bus making 40 miles per hour leaves C, bound for B, at 1:00 PM. If AC = 40 miles, what must be the speed of the boat to enable the man to catch the bus. Solution:
answer
Problem 71 In Problem 70, if the speed of the boat is 30 miles per hour, what is the greatest distance offshorefrom which the bus can be caught? Solution:
answer
Problem 66 Find the largest right pyramid with a square base that can be inscribed in a sphere of radius a. Solution:
answer
Problem 67 An Indian tepee is made by stretching skins or birch bark over a group of poles tied together at the top. If poles of given length are to be used, what shape gives maximum volume? Solution:
Volume of tepee:
answer
Problem 68 Solve Problem 67 above if poles of any length can be found, but only limited amount of covering material is available. Solution:
Click here to show or hide the solution Area of covering material: where
Volume of tepee:
answer
Problem 62 Inscribe a circular cylinder of maximum convex surface area in a given circular cone. Solution:
answer
Problem 63 Find the circular cone of maximum volume inscribed in a sphere of radius a. Solution:
answer
Problem 64 A sphere is cut to the shape of a circular cone. How much of the material can be saved? (SeeProblem 63). Solution:
Thus,
answer
Problem 65 Find the circular cone of minimum volume circumscribed about a sphere of radius a. Solution:
By similar triangle:
Thus,
answer
Click here to show or hide the solution For a circle inscribed in a triangle, its center is at the point of intersection of the angular bisector of the triangle called the incenter (see figure). For the problem:
Thus,
(okay!)
Problem 58 For the silo of Problem 57, find the most economical proportions, if the floor is twice as expensive as the walls, per unit area, and the roof is three times as expensive as the walls, per unit area. Solution:
Click here to show or hide the solution Let k = unit price of wall 2k = unit price of floor 3k = unit price of roof Total cost:
Equation (1)
answer
Problem 59 An oil can consists of a cylinder surmounted by a cone. If the diameter of the cone is five-sixths of its height, find the most economical proportions. Solution:
Thus,
Total area:
answer
Problem 56 The base of a covered box is a square. The bottom and back are made of pine, the remainder of oak. If oak is m times as expensive as pine, find the most economical proportion. Solution:
Click here to show or hide the solution Let k = unit price of pine mk = unit price of oak C = total cost Volume of the square box:
Total cost:
answer
Problem 57 A silo consists of a cylinder surmounted by a hemisphere. If the floor, walls, and roof are equally expensive per unit area, find the most economical proportion. Solution:
Click here to show or hide the solution Let k = unit price Total cost:
answer