The problem of determining the maximum or minimum of function is encountered in geometry, mechanics, physics, and other fields, and

was one of the

motivating factors in the development of the calculus in the seventeenth century.
Let us recall the procedure for the case of a function of one variable y=f(x).
First, we determine points where f(x)=0. These points are called critical points.
At critical points the tangent line is horizontal. This is shown in the figure below.