How to Solve Optimization Problems

1. Diagram. 2. Goal. 3. Data. 4. Equation.

Draw a diagram. Maximize or minimize which unknown? Introduce variable names. Which values are given? Express the unknown as a function of a single variable. (You may need to combine two or more equations.) Find rst and second derivatives. a. Find critical points (where f = 0 or f is undened). b. Use the rst or second derivative test to determine whether the critical points are local maxima, local minima, or neither. c. Check endpoints of f , if applicable.

5. Differentiate. 6. Extrema.

Useful Formulas
Area of a triangle Area of a rectangle Area of a trapezoid Area of a circle Perimeter of a rectangle Circumference of a circle Length of a circular arc Volume of a rectangular solid Volume of a sphere Volume of a cylinder Volume of a cone Surface area of a rectangular solid Surface area of a sphere Surface area of a cylinder Distance formula A = bh/2 A = lw A = 1 h(b1 + b2 ) 2 A = r2 P = 2l + 2w C = d or C = 2r a = r V V V V = lwd 4 = 3 r3 = r2 h = 1 r2 h 3

A = 2lw + 2wd + 2ld A = 4r2 A = 2rh + 2r2 d= (x1 x2 )2 + (y1 y2 )2

Maximize Area
Max plans to build a rectangular pen for his pigs using 120 feet of fencing. What is the maximum area he can enclose? Goal. Data. Maximize area A. Let x represent the length of the pen and y represent the width. Let P represent the perimeter. 120 2x = 60 x. Given: perimeter P = 2x + 2y = 120 y = 2 A = xy A = x(60 x) = 60x x2 A = 60 2x A = 2 a. Critical points: A = 0 at x = 30. b. This is a local maximum because A < 0 for all x.

Equation.

Differentiate. Extrema.

Maximum area is A = 900 ft2 when the pen is a square: x = 30 ft, y = 60 x = 30 ft.

Minimize Perimeter
Max plans to build two side-by-side identical rectangular pens for his pigs that will enclose a total area of 216 square feet. What is the minimum length of fencing he will need? Goal. Data. Minimize perimeter P . Let x represent the length of each pen and y represent the width of each pen. Assume the pens share a side of length x. 108 Given: area A = 2xy = 216 = y = . x P = 3x + 4y P = 3x + 4 432 x2 864 P = 3 x P =3 a. Critical points: P = 0 at x = 12. b. This is a local minimum because P (12) > 0. 108 x = 3x + 432 x

Equation.

Differentiate.

Extrema.

The perimeter is minimized when x = 12 ft, y = 108/x = 9 ft, and P = 3(12) + 4(9) = 72 ft .

Maximize Volume
The U.S. Postal Service will accept a box for shipment only if the sum of its length and girth (distance around the base) does not exceed a maximum size of 108 inches. What dimensions will give a box with a square end the largest possible volume? Goal. Data. Maximize volume V . Let x represent the side length of the square base and y represent the length of the box. Given: 4x + y = 108 y = 108 4x. V = x2 y V = x2 (108 4x) V = 108x2 4x3 V = 216x 12x2 V = 216 24x a. Critical: V = 0 at x = 18. (We can ignore the solution x = 0 which is invalid for this problem.) b. This is a local maximum because V (18) < 0.

Equation.

Differentiate.

Extrema.

The volume is maximized when x = 18 in and y = 108 4x = 36 in. The optimal dimensions for the box are 18 18 36 in .

Minimize Cost
A rectangular pool with a square bottom is to have a volume of 2000 cubic feet. The sides of the pool will cost twice as much per square foot as the bottom. Find the pool dimensions that will minimize the cost of construction. Goal. Data. Equation. Minimize cost C. Let x represent the side length of the square bottom and y represent the height of the pool. Given: volume V = x2 y = 2000 y = 2000/x2 . The surface area of the sides is 4xy and the area of the bottom is x2 . The cost per sq ft of the sides is twice the cost of the bottom. C = 2(4xy) + x2 = 8xy + x2 = 8x 16000 + x2 x 16000 C = 2 + 2x x 32000 C = +2 x3 a. Critical points: C = 0 at x = 20. C= b. This is a local minimum because C > 0 for all x > 0. The cost is minimized when x = 20 and y = 2000/x2 = 5. The optimal dimensions are 20 20 5 feet . 2000 x2 + x2

Differentiate.

Extrema.

Maximize Area
Find the dimensions of the largest rectangle that has its base on the x-axis and its upper two vertices on the parabola y = x2 + 4. Goal. Data. Maximize area A. Given: y = x2 + 4. Let (x, 0), (x, 0) represent the coordinates of the lower two vertices, for 0 x 2. Let (x, y), (x, y) represent the coordinates of the upper two vertices. Equation. Differentiate. Extrema. A = 2xy = 2x(x2 + 4) A = 2x3 + 8x A = 6x2 + 8 A = 12x a. Critical points: A = 0 at x = 2/ 3. b. This is a local maximum because A (2/ 3) < 0. The area is maximized when x = 2/ 3 and y = x2 + 4 = 8/3 .

Maximize Volume
An open rectangular box is made by cutting squares from the corners of an 8-ft by 3-ft piece of cardboard, then folding up the sides. Find the dimensions of the box with largest volume.

x x

Goal. Data. Equation. Differentiate. Extrema.

Maximize volume V .
3 Let x represent the side length of each square, 0 x 2 . The dimensions of the folded box will be (8 2x) by (3 2x) by x.

V = x(8 2x)(3 2x) V = 4x3 22x2 + 24x V = 12x2 44x + 24 = 4(3x 2)(x 3) V = 24x 44
2 a. Critical points: V = 0 at x = 3 . (We can ignore the solution x = 3 which is invalid for this problem.) b. There is a local maximum because V ( 2 ) < 0. 3

The maximum dimensions are (8 2x) by (3 2x) by x, or

20 5 2 ft . 3 3 3

Maximize Area
A piece of wire 8 m long is cut into two pieces. One piece is bent into a square and the other is bent into a circle. How should the wire be cut so that the total area enclosed is maximized? Goal. Data. Maximize area A. Let s represent the side length of the square and r the radius of the circle. Given: Perimeter P = 4s + 2r = 8 s = Equation. A = s2 + r2 4 r A= 2 8 2r 4 r = . 4 2

+ r2 =

1 (4 r)2 + r2 4

Differentiate.

A = (4 r) + 2r 2 2 + 2 A = 2 a. Critical points: A = 0 at r = 4/(4 + ). b. This is a local minimum because A > 0 for all r. We are seeking a local maximum, however. c. Check the endpoints at r = 0 (the entire wire is used for the square) and at r = 4/ (the entire wire is used for the circle). When r = 0, A = 4. When r = 4/, A = 16/ > 4.

Extrema.

The area is maximized when the entire wire is used for the circle .

Minimize Cost
Dr. Pepper makes 256 cm3 cans shaped like right circular cylinders. If the manufacturing cost of the circular ends is twice the cost of the sides of each can, what dimensions will minimize the cost of a single can? Goal. Data. Minimize cost C. Let r represent the radius of the can and h represent the height. 256 Given: volume V = r2 h = 256 = h = 2 . r The surface area of the sides is 2rh and the area of each end is r2 . The cost per sq cm of the ends is twice the cost of the sides. C = 2rh + 2(2r2 ) C = 2r C= Differentiate. 256 r2 + 4r2

Equation.

Extrema.

512 + 4r2 = 512r1 + 4r2 r 512 C = 512r2 + 8r = 2 + 8r r 1024 C = 1024r3 + 8 = 3 + 8 r 4 a. Critical points: C = 0 at r = . 3 b. This is a local minimum because C 4 3 > 0.

4 16 256 The cost is minimized when r = cm and h = 2 = cm . 3 3 r

Minimize Time
A man launches his boat from point A on a bank of a straight river, 1 km wide, and wants to reach point B, 3 km downstream on the opposite bank, as quickly as possible. He could row his boat to some point D between C and B and then run to B. If he can row at 6 km/hr and run at 10 km/hr, where should he land to reach B as soon as possible? (Assume that the speed of the water is negligible compared with the speed at which the man rows.)

Goal. Data.

Minimize time T . Let x represent the distance CD. Then the running distance is DB = 3 x. Use the Pythagorean Theorem to nd the rowing distance AD = CD2 + AC 2 = x2 + 1. Let Trow represent the rowing time and Trun represent the running time. Use the formula time = distance/rate to nd an expression for T . AD DB T = Trow + Trun = + 6 10 2+1 x 3x T = + 6 10 1 2 1 x 1 (x + 1)1/2 (2x) = 2+1 12 10 10 6 x 2 + 1 6x2 (x2 + 1)1/2 6 x T = 36(x2 + 1) T = a. Critical points: T = 0 at x = 3/4. b. This is a local minimum because T (3/4) =
9 6( 5 ) 6( 16 )( 4 ) 6( 25 9 ) 4 5 = 20 25 20 > 0. 25 36( 16 ) 36( 16 )

Equation.

Differentiate.

Extrema.

The time is minimized when the distance from C to D is 3/4 km .

S. Chang

CU-Boulder Department of Applied Mathematics