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Maximum and Minimum Values

To find the local maximum and minimum values of a function of two variables z=f(x,y), we: 1. Find the critical points where the partial derivatives fx and fy are zero. 2. Find the second partial derivatives fxx, fxy, fyx, and fyy at the critical points. 3. Use the signs of fxx and the determinant D=fxx*fyy-fxy^2 to determine if each critical point is a local minimum (fxx>0, D>0), maximum (fxx<0, D>0), or saddle point (D<0). The document then provides 5 practice problems finding the maximum and minimum values of given

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Elvio Brito
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28 views

Maximum and Minimum Values

To find the local maximum and minimum values of a function of two variables z=f(x,y), we: 1. Find the critical points where the partial derivatives fx and fy are zero. 2. Find the second partial derivatives fxx, fxy, fyx, and fyy at the critical points. 3. Use the signs of fxx and the determinant D=fxx*fyy-fxy^2 to determine if each critical point is a local minimum (fxx>0, D>0), maximum (fxx<0, D>0), or saddle point (D<0). The document then provides 5 practice problems finding the maximum and minimum values of given

Uploaded by

Elvio Brito
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Calculus 3

Lia Vas

Maximum and Minimum Values

Let z = f (x, y) be a function of two variables. To find the local maximum and minimum values,
we:

1. Find the first partial derivatives fx and fy . Then find all points (a, b) at which the partial
derivatives are zero or are not defined. Such points are called critical points.

2. Find the second partial derivatives fxx , fxy , fyx and fyy , and find the determinant D


fxx fxy

fyx fyy

3. Then,

a) If D > 0 and fxx (a, b) > 0, then f (a, b) is a local minimum.


b) If D > 0 and fxx (a, b) < 0, then f (a, b) is a local maximum.
c) If D < 0, then f (a, b) is not a local minimum or maximum. It is a saddle point.

Figure 1: Surfaces with: a minimum value, a maximum value, and a saddle point.

Practice Problems. Find the maximum and minimum values of f.

1. f (x, y) = 9 − 2x + 4y − x2 − 4y 2

2. f (x, y) = x2 + y 2 + x2 y + 4
x2 y 2 −8x+y
3. f (x, y) = xy

4. f (x, y) = xy − 2x − y

5. f (x, y) = 1 + xy − x − y

Solutions.
1. Find derivatives: fx = −2 − 2x, fy = 4 − 8y. Find critical points: fx = −2 − 2x = 0 ⇒
−2x = 2 ⇒ x = −1, and fy = 4 − 8y = 0 ⇒ 4 = 8y ⇒ y = 12 . So, the only critical
point is (−1, 12 ). Find the second derivatives: fxx = −2, fxy = 0, and fyy = −8. Find D :
−2 0
D = = (−2)(−8) − 0 = 16. Since fxx = −2 < 0 and D = 16 > 0, there is a

0 −8
maximum at (−1, 12 ). Find the maximum value to be f (−1, 1/2) = 11.

2. Find derivatives: fx = 2x + 2xy, fy = 2y + x2 . Find critical points: fx = 2x + 2xy = 0 ⇒


2x(1 + y) = 0 ⇒ 2x = 0 or 1 + y = 0 ⇒ x = 0 or y = −1.
Plugging x = 0 in the second equation gives you fy = 2y + 02 = 0 ⇒ y = 0. Thus, one critical
points is (0, 0).
2 2
√
Plugging y = −1 in the second equation√ gives you f y = −2 + x = 0 ⇒ x = 2 ⇒ x = ± 2.
So, another two critical points are (± 2, −1).

2 + 2y 2x

Find the second derivatives: fxx = 2+2y, fxy = 2x, and fyy = 2. Find D : D = =

2x 2


4 + 4y − 4x2 .
Consider the values of the second derivatives in each of the three critical points.
At (0, 0), fxx = 2 + 2(0) = 2 > 0 and D = 4 + 4(0) − 4(0)2 = 4 > 0. So, there is a minimum at
(0, 0). Find the minimum value to be f (0, 0) = 4.
√ √
At ( 2, −1), fxx√= 2 + 2(−1) = 0 and D = 4 + 4(−1) − 4( 2)2 = −8 < 0. Thus, there is a
saddle point at ( 2, −1) and no extreme value at this point.
√ √
At (− 2, −1), fxx √ = 2 + 2(−1) = 0 and D = 4 + 4(−1) − 4(− 2)2 = −8 < 0. Thus, there is a
saddle point at (− 2, −1) and no extreme value at this point.

3. To avoid the quotient rule, you can simplify the function as f = xy − y8 + x1 . The derivatives
fx = y − x12 = 0 ⇒ y = x12 , and fy = x + y82 = 0 ⇒ x + ( 18 )2 = x + 8x4 = 0 ⇒ x(1 + 8x3 ) = 0 ⇒
x2
x = 0 or 8x3 = −1 ⇒ x = 0 or x = −1 2
. Substitute back in y = x12 . x = 0 does not give you a
finite y-value. In addition, the second derivatives are also not defined when x or y are 0. So,
there is no extreme value at this point. If x = − 21 , y = 4. So, (− 21 , 4) is the only critical point.

2 1
2 −16 x3
Find the second derivatives: fxx = x3
, fxy = 1, and fyy = y3
. Find D : D = 1
−16 =
y3

−32
x3 y 3
− 1. At (− 12 , 4), fxx = −16 < 0 and D = 32 8
− 1 = 3 > 0. So, there is a maximum at
(− 21 , 4). Find the maximum 1
value to be f (− 2 , 4) = −6.

0 1
4. fx = y − 2 = 0 ⇒ y = 2, fy = x − 1 = 0 ⇒ x = 1. One critical point (1, 2). D =
=
1 0


−1 < 0. So there is a saddle point at (1, 2).

0 1
5. fx = y − 1 = 0 ⇒ y = 1, fy = x − 1 = 0 ⇒ x = 1. One critical point (1, 1). D = =

1 0


−1 < 0. So, there is a saddle point at (1, 1).

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