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Summary: Applications of the Derivative

StudentHome SummaryofChapter5in True/FalseQuiz AppliedCalculus ReviewExercises SummaryIndex Chapter12in EverythingforCalculus FiniteMathematics&AppliedCalculus EverythingforFiniteMath Topic:ApplicationsoftheDerivative EverythingforFiniteMath&Calculus Chapter4SummaryChapter6Summary

Tools:JavaGraphingUtility|FunctionEvaluator&Grapher|ExcelGrapher|ExcelFirstandSecondDerivative GraphingUtility|FreeMacintoshGrapher
RelativeMaximaandMinima|AbsoluteMaximaandMinima|LocatingCandidatesforRelativeExtrema|Applicationsof MaximaandMinima|Acceleration,Concavity,andtheSecondDerivative|AnalyzingGraphs|RelatedRates|Elasticityof Demand RelativeMaximaandMinima fhasarelativemaximumatcifthereissomeinterval(r,s)(evena verysmallone)containingcforwhichf(c) f(x)forallxbetweenr andsforwhichf(x)isdefined. Example Let f(x)=x2 2x,withdomain[0,4]. Hereisitsgraph.

StillPicture MovingPicture

fhasarelativeminimumatcifthereisaninterval(r,s)(evenavery smallone)containingcforwhichf(c) f(x)forallxbetweenrands forwhichf(x)isdefined. Byarelativeexremum,wemeaneitherarelativemaximumora relativeminimum. Thefollowingfigureshowsseveralrelativeextrema.

Lookingatthegraph,wefindthatfhas: Arelativemaximumat(0,0) Arelativeminimumat(1, 1) Arelativemaximumat(4,8).

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Note Ourdefinitionofrelativeextremumallowsftohavearelative extremumatanendpointofitsdomainthedefinitionsusedinsome booksdonot.

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Summary: Applications of the Derivative

AbsoluteMaximaandMinima Relativeextremamaysometimesalsobeabsoluteextrema,asthe followingdefinitionshows. fhasanabsolutemaximumatciff(c) f(x)foreveryxinthe domainoff. fhasanabsoluteminimumatciff(c) f(x)foreveryxinthe domainoff. Thefollowingfigureshowsseveralrelativeextremathatarealso absoluteextrema.

Example Onceagain,let f(x)=x2 2x,withdomain[0,4].

Lookingagainatitsrelativeextrema,weseethat: Note Allabsoluteextremaareautomaticallyrelativeextrema,accordingto ourconvention. Themaximumat(0,0)isnotanabsolutemaximum Theminumumat(1, 1)isanabsoluteminimum Themaximumat(4,8)isanabsolutemaximum. Note Ifwechangedthedomainto[0,+ ),thentherewouldbeno absolutemaximum.(Why?)

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LocatingCandidatesforRelativeExtrema Iffiscontinuousonitsdomainanddifferentiableexceptatafew isolatedpoints,thenitsrelativeextremaoccuramongthefollowing typesofpoints. 1.Stationarypoints:pointsxinthedomainwheref' (x)=0.To locatestationarypoints,setf' (x)=0andsolveforx. 2.Singularpoints:pointsxinthedomainwheref' (x)isnot defined.Tolocatesingularpoints,findvaluesxwheref' (x)isnot defined,butf(x)isdefined. 3.Endpoints:theendpointsofthedomain,ifany.Recallthatclosed intervalscontainendpoints,butopenintervalsdonot. Thefollowingfigureshowsseveralinstancesofallthreetypes. Examples 1.Letuslookyetagainatthegraphoff(x)=x2 2x,with domain[0,4].

Therelativemaximumat(0,0)isa

Selectone Selectone Selectone

Theabsoluteminumumat(1, 1)isa Stilluncomfortablewiththismaterial?Trytheonlinetutorialon maximaandminima.

Theabsolutemaximumat(4,8)is .

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Summary: Applications of the Derivative

MoreExamples Stationarypoints:Letf(x)=x3 12x. Thentolocatethestationarypoints,setf' (x)=0andsolvefor x.Thisgives3x2 12=0,sox=+ 2arethestationarypoints. Singularpoints:Letf(x)=3(x 1/3. 1) Thenf' (x)=(x =1/(x 2/3. 1) 2/3 1) f' (x)isnotdefinedwhenx=1,althoughf(x)isdefinedwhen x=1.Thus,the(only)singularpointisx=1. Endpoints:Letf(x)=1/x,withdomain( ,0) [1,+ ). Thentheonlyendpointinthedomainoffisx=1.Ontheother hand,thenaturaldomainof1/xhasnoendpoints. Note Ifwechangedthedomainto[0,+ ),thentherewouldbeno absolutemaximum.(Why?)

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ApplicationsofMaximaandMinima:OptimizationProblems Wesolveoptimizationproblemsofthefollowingform:Findthe valuesoftheunknownsx,y,...maximizing(orminimizing)the valueoftheobjectivefunctionf,subjecttocertainconstraints.The constraintsareequationsandinequalitiesrelatingorrestrictingthe variablesx,y,.... Tosolvesuchaproblem,weusetheconstraintequationstowriteall ofthevariablesintermsofonechosenvariable,substitutetheseinto theobjectivefunctionf,andthenfindextremaasabove.(Weuseany constraintinequalitiestodeterminethedomainoftheresulting functionofonevariable.)Specifically: 1.Identifytheunknown(s). Theseareusuallythequantitiesaskedforintheproblem. 2.Identifytheobjectivefunction. Thisisthequantityyouareaskedtomaximizeorminimize. 3.Identifytheconstraint(s). Thesecanbeequationsrelatingvariablesorinequalitiesexpressing limitationsonthevaluesofvariables. 4.Statetheoptimizationproblem. Thiswillhavetheform"Maximize[minimize]theobjectivefunction subjecttotheconstraint(s)." 5.Eliminateextravariables. Iftheobjectivefunctiondependsonseveralvariables,solvethe constraintequationstoexpressallvariablesintermsofoneparticular variable.Substitutetheseexpressionsintotheobjectivefunctionto rewriteitasafunctionofasinglevariable.Substitutetheexpressions intoanyinequalityconstraintstohelpdeterminethedomainofthe objectivefunction. Example Hereisamaximizationproblem: MaximizeA=xy ObjectiveFunction

subjecttox+2y=100, x 0,and Constraints y 0 Letuscarryouttheprocedureforsolving.Sincewealready havetheproblemstatedasanoptimizationproblem,wecan startatStep5.

5.Eliminateextravariables. Wecandothisbysolvingtheconstraintequationx+2y=100 forx(gettingx=100 2y)andsubstitutingintheobjective functionandtheinequalityinvolvingx: A=xy=(100 2y)y=100y 2 2y (100 2y) 0,ory 50. Thus,weareleftwithhavingtomaximizeA=100y 2 2y subjectto0 y 50. 6.Findtheabsolutemaximum(orminimum)ofthe objectivefunction. Followingtheaboveprocedure,wegettwoendpointsanda stationarypointwithvaluesasshown. y A(y) 0 0 25 1,250 50 0

Type Endpoint StationaryPoint Endpoint

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Summary: Applications of the Derivative

6.Findtheabsolutemaximum(orminimum)oftheobjective function. Usethetechniquesoftheprecedingtopic.

Fromthetable,weseethatthelargestpossiblevalueofAis 1,250,whichoccurswheny=25.Thecorrespondingvalueof xisx=100 2y,sox=50wheny=25.

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Acceleration,Concavity,andtheSecondDerivative Acceleration Theaccelerationofamovingobjectisthederivativeofitsvelocity, i.e.,thesecondderivative(derivativeofthederivative)ofitsposition function. Concavity Acurveisconcaveupifitsslopeisincreasing,inwhichcasethe secondderivativewillbepositive.Acurveisconcavedownifits slopeisdecreasing,inwhichcasethesecondderivativewillbe negative.Apointwherethegraphoffchangesconcavity,from concaveuptoconcavedownorviceversa,iscalledapointof inflection.Atapointofinflectionthesecondderivativewilleitherbe undefinedor0. Examples Acceleration Iftistimeinhoursandthepositionofacarattimetiss(t)=t3 +2t2miles,then: Velocity=v(t)=s' (t)=3t2+4tmilesperhour. Acceleration=a(t)=s" (t)=6t+4milesperhourper hour. Concavity Considerf(x)=x3 3x,whosegraphisshownbelow.

f" (x)=6xisnegativewhenx<0andpositivewhenx>0. Thegraphoffisconcavedownwhenx<0andconcaveup whenx>0.fhasapointofinflectionatx=0,wherethe secondderivativeis0.

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AnalyzingGraphs Wecanusegraphingtechnologytodrawagraph,butweneedtouse calculustounderstandwhatweareseeing.Themostinteresting featuresofagrapharethefollowing. FeaturesofaGraph 1.ThexandyinterceptsIfy=f(x),findthexintercept(s)by settingy=0andsolvingforxfindtheyinterceptbysettingx=0. 2.RelativeextremaUsethetechniqueoftheSection4.1tolocatethe relativeextrema. 3.PointsofinflectionSetf" (x)=0andsolveforxtofindcandidate pointsofinflection.

Example Hereisthegraphof f(x) = x2 (x+ 1)(x 1)

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Summary: Applications of the Derivative

4.BehaviornearpointswherethefunctionisnotdefinedIff(x) isnotdefinedatx=a,considerlimxaf(x)andlimxa+ f(x)to seehowthegraphoffapproachesthispoint. 5.BehavioratinfinityConsiderlimxf(x)andlimx+f(x)if appropriate,toseehowthegraphoffbehavesfartotheleftandright.

Toanalyzethis,wefollowtheprocedureatleft: 1.ThexandyinterceptsSettingy=0andsolvingforx givesx=0.Thisistheonlyxintercept.Settingx=0and solvingforygivesy=0:theyintercept. 2.RelativeextremaTheonlyextremaarestationarypoints foundbysettingf' (x)=0andsolvingforx,givingx=0and x= 4.Thecorrespondingpointsonthegrapharetherelative maximum(0,0)andtherelativeminimumat( 4,8/9). 3.PointsofinflectionSolvingf" (x)=0analyticallyis difficult,sowecansolveitnumerically(plotthesecond derivativeandestimatewhereiscrossesthexaxis)andfind thatthepointofinflectionliesatx 6.1072. 4.Behaviornearpointswherethefunctionisnotdefined Thefunctionisnotdefinedatx= 1andx=2.Thelimitsasx approachesthesevaluesfromtheleftandrightcanbeinferred fromthegraph: lim f(x) = + x 1 lim f(x) = x + 1 lim f(x) = x 2 lim f(x) = + x 2+ 5.BehavioratinfinityFromthegraph(orthefunction)we seethat lim f(x) = 1 x lim f(x) = 1. x +

IfyouhaveExcel,tryourExcelFirstandSecondDerivative GraphingUtilitytoseeplotsofanyfunctionanditsfirsttwo derivatives.

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Summary: Applications of the Derivative

RelatedRates IfQisaquantitythatisvaryingwithtime,thentherateatwhichQis increasingisgivenbythetimederivative,dQ/dt.Atypicalrelated ratesproblemasksfortherateofincreaseofaquantityQ,giventhe ratesofincreaseofvariousotherrelatedquantities. SolvingaRelatedRatesProblem A.TheProblem 1. Listtherelated,changingquantities. 2. Restatetheproblemintermsofratesofchange.Rewritethe problemusingmathematicalnotationforthechanging quantitiesandtheirderivatives B.TheRelationship 1. Drawadiagram,ifappropriate,showingthechanging quantities. 2. Findanequationorequationsrelatingthechangingquantities. 3. Takethederivativewithrespecttotimeoftheequation(s) relatingthequantitiestogetthederivedequation(s),relating theratesofchangeofthequantities. C.TheSolution Substituteintothederivedequation(s)thegivenvaluesofthe quantitiesandtheirderivatives,thensolveforthederivative required. Takealookatouronlinetutrorialonrelatedrates.

Example ThetrafficattheRealWorldwebsiteisgivenby h= 0.001p2+400hitsperday, wherepisthenumberofdifficultmathproblemsatthesite. Therearecurrently100difficultproblemsatthesite,andthis numberisincreasingatarateof10perday.Howfastisthe trafficatthewebsitedropping? A.TheProblem 1. Therelated,changingquantitiesarehandp. 2. Theproblemcanbestatedmathematicallyasfollows. Find

Selectone

when Selectone and

Selectone CheckMySelections

B.TheRelationship 1. Nodiagramappropriatehere 2. Equationrelatingthechangingquantities: h= 0.001p2+400 3. Takingthederivativewithrespecttotimeofthe equation(usingthechainrule)gives: dh dp = 0.002p dt dt

C.TheSolution Substitutingthequantitiesintotheaboveequationgives dh = 0.002(100)(10)= 2 dt

Thus,thetrafficforthewebsiteisdroppingatarateof2hits perdayeachday.

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ElasticityofDemand Theelasticityofdemand,E,isthepercentagerateofdecreaseof demandperpercentageincreaseinprice.Weobtainitfromthe demandequationaccordingtothefollowingformula: E= dq p . . dp q Example Supposethatthedemandequationisq=20,000 2p.Then E = 2) ( p p = 20,000 2p 10,000 p

Ifp=2,000,thenE=1/4,anddemandisinelasticatthisprice. Ifp=8,000,thenE=4,anddemandiselasticatthisprice. Ifp=5,000,thenE=1,andthedemandhasunitelasticityat thisprice.

wherethedemandequationexpressesdemand,q,asafunctionofunit price,p.WesaythatthedemandiselasticifE>1,thedemandis inelasticifE<1,andthedemandhasunitelasticityifE=1.

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Summary: Applications of the Derivative

Tofindtheunitpricethatmaximizesrevenue,weexpressEasa functionofp,setE=1,andthensolveforp.

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LastUpdated:April2006 Copyright20002006StefanWaner

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