Brian Streit

Math 2451

Section 4.1 Selected Solutions

14. Consider p
f (t) = kr(t)k = r(t) r(t) 6= 0:
We compute

1 1 r0 (t) r(t)
f 0 (t) = (r(t) r(t)) 2
(2r0 (t) r(t)) = :
2 kr(t)k

We see that f has a critcal point at t when r0 (t) r(t) = 0 so when r0 (t) is
perpendicular to r(t) there is a local local maximum or minimum for f (t) =
kr(t)k.

13. If a(t) v(t) = c00 (t) c0 (t) = 0 then

d 0
0 = 2c00 (t) c0 (t) = (c (t) c0 (t))
dt
for some curve c. So
2
kc(t)k = c0 (t) c0 (t) = d
for some d 2 R. That is, the speed, kc(t)k, is constant.