MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM

CRITICAL POINTS: LOCAL EXTREMA AND SADDLE

POINTS
Functions of several variables, like functions of one variable, can have local and global extrema.
(That is, local and global maxima and minima.) A function has a local extremum at a point where
it takes on the largest or smallest value in a small region around the point. Global extrema are the
largest or smallest values anywhere on the domain under consideration. (See Figures 15.1 and 15.2.)

More precisely, considering only points at which f is defined, we say:

• f has a local maximum at the point P0 if f(P0) ≥ f(P) for all points P near P0.
• f has a local minimum at the point P0 if f(P0) ≤ f(P) for all points P near P0.
For example, the function whose contour map is shown in Figure 15.2 has a local minimum
value of −3 and local maximum values of 3 and 11 in the rectangle shown.
Example : Find and analyze any critical points of 𝑔 𝑥, 𝑦 = 𝑥 2 − 𝑦 2 .
Solution To find the critical points, we look for points where both partial
derivatives are zero:
𝑔𝑥 (𝑥, 𝑦) = 2𝑥 = 0
𝑔𝑦 (𝑥, 𝑦) = −2𝑦 = 0.
Solving gives x = 0, y = 0, so the origin is the only critical point.
Figure 15.7 shows that near the origin g takes on both positive and
negative values. Since
g(0, 0) = 0, the origin is a critical point which is neither a local maximum
nor a local minimum. The
graph of g looks like a saddle.
Example 1: Find the local maxima, minima, and saddle points of
1 2
𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑥 + 3𝑦 3 + 9𝑦 2 − 3𝑥𝑦 + 9𝑦 − 9𝑥.
2
Solution Setting the partial derivatives of f to zero gives
𝑓𝑥(𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑥 − 3𝑦 − 9 = 0,
𝑓𝑦(𝑥, 𝑦) = 9𝑦 2 + 18𝑦 − 3𝑥 + 9 = 0.
Eliminating x gives 9𝑦 2 + 9𝑦 − 18 = 0, with solutions y = −2 and y = 1. The
corresponding values
of x are x = 3 and x = 12, so the critical points of f are (3, −2) and (12, 1). The
discriminant is
2
𝐷(𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑓𝑥𝑥 𝑓𝑦𝑦 − 𝑓𝑥𝑦 = (1)(18y + 18) − (−3)2 = 18y + 9.
Since D(3, −2) = −36 + 9 < 0, we know that (3, −2) is a saddle point of f. Since
D(12, 1) =18 + 9 > 0 and fxx(12, 1) = 1 > 0, we know that (12, 1) is a local
minimum of f.
The second-derivative test does not give any information if D = 0. However, as
the following
EXAMPLE #3
Example :An open rectangular container is to have a volume of
62.5𝑚3 . Determine the least surface area of material required.
1. Find the stationary point of the surface
𝑓 (𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 and determine its nature.Sketch the surface
represented by z. [Minimum at (0, 0)]
2. Find the maxima, minima and saddle points
for the following functions:
(𝑎) 𝑓 (𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 − 2𝑥 + 4𝑦 + 8
(𝑏) 𝑓 (𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑥 2 − 𝑦 2 − 2𝑥 + 4𝑦 + 8
𝑐 𝑓 𝑥, 𝑦 = 2𝑥 + 2𝑦 − 2𝑥 𝑦 − 2𝑥 2 − 𝑦 2 + 4.

(a) Minimum at (1, −2)

(b) Saddle point at (1, 2)
(c) Maximum at (0, 1)
 3. Determine the stationary values of the function
𝑓 (𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑥 3 − 6𝑥 2 − 8𝑦 2 and distinguish between them. Sketch an approximate
contour map to representthe surface f (x, y).
[Maximum point at (0, 0), saddle point at (4, 0)]
4 .An open rectangular container is to have a volume of 32𝑚3 . Determine the
dimensions and the total surface area such that the total surface area is a
minimum.
[4 𝑚 𝑏𝑦 4 𝑚 𝑏𝑦 2 𝑚, 𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎 = 48𝑚2 ]
5:Costs:
A company is developing a new soft drink. The cost in dollars to produce a
batch of the
drink is approximated by
𝐶(𝑥, 𝑦) = 2200 + 27𝑥 3 − 72𝑥𝑦 + 8𝑦 2 ,
where x is the number of kilograms of sugar per batch and y is the number of
grams of flavoring per batch. Find the amounts of sugar and flavoring that result
in the minimum cost per batch. What is the minimum cost?
6. Profit… Suppose that the profit (in hundreds of dollars) of a
supermarket is approximated by
𝑃(𝑥, 𝑦) = 2000 + 30𝑥 − 2𝑥 2 + 100𝑦 − 𝑦 2 ,
where x is the cost of a unit of labor, and y is the average cost of a
unit of goods. Find the values of x and y that maximize the profit. Find the maximum
profit.
7. Cost… Suppose the cost function of manufacturing cost for a certain product be
approximated by
𝐶(𝑥, 𝑦) = 3𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 − 𝑥 − 𝑦 − 3𝑥𝑦 + 100,
where x is the cost of labor per hour and y is the cost of materials
per unit. Find values of x and y that minimize the cost function. Find the minimum
cost
8. Cost… The total cost (in dollars) to produce x units of electrical
tape and y units of packing tape is given by
𝐶(𝑥, 𝑦) = 2𝑥 2 + 2𝑦 2 − 3𝑥𝑦 + 4𝑥 − 94𝑦 + 4200.
Find the number of units of each kind of tape that should be
produced so that the total cost is a minimum. Find the minimum total cost