Republic of the Philippines

Commission on Higher Education

DON HONORIO VENTURA STATE UNIVERSITY
Villa de Bacolor, Pampanga

TOPIC:
APPLICATION OF MINIMA AND MAXIMA

Group No.9
Members:
Bolus, Shenna Louise L.
Calaguas, Nicole M.
Clavo, Aron Gerald N.
De Dios, Michaela Nicole C.
Nabong, Caselly D.

Submitted to:
Engr. Gilmark P. Repulda
Instructor

Page 1 | 14
 I. Preface
In the field of mathematics, differential calculus serves as an
essential tool for analyzing the behavior of functions and their rates
of change. Differential calculus involves finding the derivative of a
function by the process of differentiation. The derivative of a function
at a particular value will give the rate of change of the function near
that value. A derivative is used to measure the slope of a tangent to
the graph of a function.

The peaks and valleys in a function’s curve are called maxima and
minima. Any number of maxima and minima can exist in a function. In
calculus, we can find any function’s highest and lowest values without
even looking at the graph. Maxima will be the highest peak on the curve
within the given range, while minima will be the lowest. Extrema is the
result of combining maxima and minima.

In a function, there are two sorts of maxima and minima, namely

local maxima and minima and absolute maxima and minima. The maxima and
minima occurring in a specific interval are local maxima and minima. The
point in an interval where the values ‘near’ that point are less than
the value ‘at’ that point is the local maxima. Local minima that point
in an interval where the value ‘near’ is greater than that at the point.

On the other hand, absolute maximum is the point of the greatest

possible value of the function. In contrast, the absolute minimum of the
function is the point where it achieves its lowest possible value. Over
the whole domain, there can only be one absolute maximum and one absolute
minimum of a function. The absolute maxima and minima of a function are
also known as the function’s global maxima and minima.

This study aims to provide a comprehensive exploration of the

theoretical foundations of minima and maxima in differential calculus,
focusing on their derivation, classification, and significance.
Additionally, practical applications and illustrative examples will be
presented to demonstrate their relevance in optimizing processes across
diverse disciplines such as physics, engineering, and economics. By
delving into these concepts, this study underscores the pivotal role of
differential calculus in solving complex problems and advancing
mathematical knowledge.

II. Example Problems (with Graphical Illustrations)

Page 2 | 14
 a. Level of Difficulty: Easy (5 items)
Direct Application of Formulas
Problem 1
What positive number exceeds twice its square by the maximum amount?
Let
● x = positive number
● x² = square of the number

y = x - 2x²
dy/dx = 1 - 4x
0 = 1 - 4x
x = ¼

Problem 2
What positive number subtracted from 4 gives the minimum value of the
difference when squared?
Let
● x = required positive number
● (4-x)² = the square of the difference
between 4 and x

y = (4-x)²
dy/dx = 2(4-x)(-1)
dy/dx = -2(4-x)
0 = -2(4-x)
4 - x = 0
x = 4

Problem 3

Page 3 | 14
The sum of two numbers is m. Find the minimum value of the sum of their
cubes.

Let
● x and y = the two numbers
● w = sum of their cubes
x + y = m
y = m - x

w = x³ + y³

w = x³ + (m-x)³

w = x³ + (m³ - 3m²x + 3mx² - x³)

w = m³ - 3m²x + 3mx²

dw/dx = -3m² + 6mx

-3m² + 6mx = 0

6mx = 3m²
x = m/2

y = m - x
y = m - m/2 = m/2

w = x³ + y³

w = (m/2)³ + (m/2)³

w = 2 · (m/2)³
w = m^3/4

Problem 4:

Page 4 | 14
What positive number, when added to twice its reciprocal, gives the
minimum sum?
Let
x = positive number
y = x + 2(1/x)
y = x + 2/x

dy/dx = 1 - 2/x²

0 = 1 - 2/x²

2/x² = 1

x² = 2
x = square root of 2

Problem 5:
A farmer has 1,000 feet of fencing and wants to enclose a rectangular
area and divide it into four equal sections by placing three fences
parallel to one of the sides. What are the dimensions of the largest
area that can be enclosed?
Let
● x = length of the rectangle
● y = width of the rectangle

2y + 5x = 1000
y = 1000 -5x/2
A = x . y
A = x (1000-5x/2) = 1000x-5x^2/2

dA/dx = 1000 - 10x/2

1000-10x/2 = 0
1000-10x = 0
x = 100

Page 5 | 14
y = 1000-5x/2
y = 1000-5(100)/2
y = 1000-500/2
y = 250

Conclusion:
Length x = 100 feet
Width y = 250 feet

b. Level of Difficulty: Medium (10 items)

Basic Time Rates
Problem 1:
A cylindrical tank is being filled with water at a constant rate of 30
cubic feet per minute. If the radius of the tank is 6 feet, determine
how quickly the height of the water is increasing.

● dV/dt = 30 ft³/min
● r = 6ft

V = 𝜋 r^2 h

V = π(6^2)h = 36𝜋 h

dV/dt = 36𝜋 dh/dt

30 = 36𝜋 dh/dt

dh/dt = 30/36pi
dh/dt = 0.079 ft/min

Problem 2:
A triangular prism-shaped tank is 12 ft long, 8 ft wide across the
top, and 4 ft deep. Water flows into the tank at the rate of 16
ft³/min. How fast is the surface of the water rising when the water is
2 feet deep?

A = 1/2 • (2y) • y = y²

Page 6 | 14
V = 12y²
dV/dt = 24y dy/dt
16 = 24 (2) dy/dt
16 = 48 dy/dt
dy/dt = 16/48 = 1/3 ft/min

Problem 3:
A 12-foot ladder rests against a vertical pole, with the bottom of the
ladder moving horizontally away from the pole at 1 foot per second. At
what rate is the top of the ladder descending when the bottom is 4
feet away from the pole?

x²+ y² = 12²

x² + y² = 144

2x dx/dt + 2y dy/dt = 0
x dx/dt + y dy/dt = 0

when x = 4,

4² + y² = 144

16 + y² = 144

y² = 128
y = 128 = 11.31ft

x = 4, y = square root of 128, and dx/dt = 1

4(1) + square root of 128 dy/dt = 0
4 + square root of 128 dy/dt = 0
dy/dt = -4/square root of 128 = -0.353 ft/sec

Problem 4:

Page 7 | 14
A streetlight stands at a height of 25 ft, and a 6 ft tall individual
walks away from the base of the light at a speed of 2 feet per second.
How quickly is the tip of the person's shadow moving when the person
is 15 feet from the base of the streetlight?

6/ x+s = 25/s
6s = 25 (x + s)
6s = 25x + 25s
-19s = 25x
s = -25x/19

ds/dt = -25/19 dx/dt

ds/dt = -25/19 (2) = -50/19 ft/sec

Implicit Differentiation
Problem 5:
A cylindrical can is being manufactured from a square sheet of metal.
The sheet has a side length of 20cm, and squares of side length x cm
are cut from each corner of the sheet. After folding the remaining
edges up to form the can, the radius of the base is r = x, and the
height of the can is h = 20-2x. Find the value of x that maximizes the
volume of the can, and solve using implicit differentiation.

V = 𝜋r²h

V = 𝜋x² (20-2x)

V = 𝜋(20x² - 2x³)

dV/dx = 𝜋 d/dx (20x² - 2x³)

dV/dx = 𝜋 (40x - 6x²)

𝜋(40x-6x²) = 0

40x - 6x² = 0
2x(20 - 3x) = 0

Page 8 | 14
x = 20/3 cm

Problem 6:
A farmer wants to construct the largest possible rectangular pen using
a triangular field. The field is in the shape of a right triangle with
perpendicular sides measuring 60 m60 \, \text{m}60m and 80 m80 \,
\text{m}80m. The pen must have one side along the 60 m60 \, \text{m}60m
base and another side along the 80 m80 \, \text{m}80m height. Determine
the dimensions of the rectangular pen that maximize its area, using
implicit differentiation.

A = x •y
x/60 + y/80 = 1
y/80 = 1 - x/60
y = 80 (1-x/60)

dA/dx = x dy/dx + y
dy/dx = d/dx [80(1-x/60)]

dy/dx = 80 • (-1/60) = - 80/60 = -4/3

dA/dx = x (-4/3) + y
dA/dx = -4x/3 + y

-4x/3 + y = 0
y = 4x/3

x/60 + 4x/3/80 = 1
x/60 + x/60 = 1
2x/60 = 1
x = 30m

y = 4(30)/3 = 40m

Conclusion:

Page 9 | 14
Base x = 30m
Height y = 40m

Problem 7:
A trapezoidal field has a longer parallel side of 100m, a shorter
parallel side of 40m, and the height of the trapezoid is 60m. A
rectangular swimming pool is to be constructed inside the field such
that one of its sides lies along the shorter parallel side, and the
opposite side is parallel to it. Find the dimensions of the largest
rectangular pool that can be constructed inside the trapezoidal field
using implicit differentiation.
100-w/60 = 100-40/60
100 - w = h
w + h = 100

A = w . h

dA/dh = w . dh/dh + h . dw/dh

dA/dh = w + h . dw/dh

dw/dh + dh/dh = 0
dw/dh = -1

dA/dh = w + h . dw/dh
dA/dh = w + h(-1)
dA/dh = w - h

w - h = 0
w = h

w + h = 100
w + w = 100
2w = 100

Page 10 | 14
w = 50m, h = 50m

Conclusion:
width w = 50m
height h = 50m

Higher-Order Derivatives
Problem 8:
Problem 9:
Problem 10:

c. Level of Difficulty: Hard (10 items)

Real - life worded problems
Problem 1:
A company is designing a cylindrical can to hold 500cm^3 of liquid.
The cost of the material for the top and bottom is twice as much as
the material for the side. What dimensions (radius and height) will
minimize the total cost of the material?

C = 2.(2𝜋r^2)+ 2𝜋rh

C = 4𝜋r^2 = 2𝜋rh

V = 𝜋r^2 = 500

h = 500/𝜋r^2

C = 4𝜋r^2 + 2𝜋r (500/𝜋r^2)

C = 4𝜋r^2 + 1000/r

dc/dr = 8𝜋r - 1000/r^2

8𝜋r = 1000/r^2

8𝜋r^3 = 1000

r^3 = 1000/S𝜋

r = ^3√(125/𝜋)

h = 500/𝜋 (^3√125/𝜋)

h = 500/ 𝜋 (^3√(125/𝜋)⅔

Page 11 | 14
r = ^3√ 125/𝜋 cm

h = 500/125^⅔ 𝜋½ cm
r ~ 3.42cm and h ~ 13.6cm

Problem 2:
A farmer wants to enclose a rectangular field adjacent to a river, so
no fence is needed along the river. The fencing for the side parallel
to the river costs $4 per foot, while the fencing for the two sides
perpendicular to the river costs $2 per foot. The farmer has $600 to
spend. What dimensions will enclose the largest area?
C = 4x + 2(2y)
C = 4x + 4y
4x + 4y = 600
y = 150 - x

A = x.y
A = x(150-x)
A = 150x - x^2

dA/dx = 150 - 2x
150 - 2x = 0
x = 75

y = 150 - x
y = 150 - 75
y = 75

Conclusion:
Length x = 75ft
Width y = 75ft

Problem 3:

Page 12 | 14
A lighthouse is located 5 miles off the shore, and the cable needed to
power the lighthouse must be laid along the shore to a point on the
beach, and then underwater to the lighthouse. The cost of laying the
cable along the shore is $5 per mile, and the cost of laying the
underwater cable is $10 per mile.

Let x be the distance from the point on the shore closest to the
lighthouse to the point where the cable reaches the beach. What is the
value of x that will minimize the total cost of the wiring?

C(x) = 5x + 10√x^2 + 25

dC/dx = 5 + 10.2x/ 2√x^2 + 25

dC/dx = 5 + 10x/ √x^2 + 25

5 + 10x/ √x^2 + 25 = 0

x = 10x/ √x^2 + 25 = -5

10x = -5√x^2 + 25
100x^2 = 25(x^2 + 25)
100x^2 = 25x^2 + 625
75x^2 = 625
x^2 = 625/75 = 25/3

x = 5/√3 ~ 2.89 miles

Page 13 | 14
 REFERENCES
●
https://mathalino.com/reviewer/differential-calculus/01-04-
number-problems-in-maxima-and-minima
● https://www.geogebra.org/graphing?lang=en
● https://mathalino.com/reviewer/differential-calculus/time-rates-
applications?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2xl4NA-
C_ICFq4IXUUHiPxI76XBf5nA86BHbqHXujnGhMFVYGmP2wU00c_aem_vBIa_hgzDI
JnZS1oKrbYyw
● https://mathalino.com/reviewer/differential-calculus/01-02-water-
flows-cylindrical-tank
● https://mathalino.com/reviewer/differential-calculus/03-water-
flowing-rectangular-trough
● https://mathalino.com/reviewer/differential-calculus/04-05-water-
flowing-triangular-trough
● https://mathalino.com/reviewer/differential-calculus/06-07-ladder-
slides-down-wall
● https://mathalino.com/reviewer/differential-calculus/08-09-rtae-
movement-shadow-ground
● https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/applications-of-maxima-and-
minima/13171251?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0UJg0PMqCCq28UMo6_oJxpiEg
P-GPF2uFXhotVl9-n6Jxlzhd-zJLp1IM_aem_qKY1c8q7pAN9jUjd3Jwshw#10
● https://mathalino.com/reviewer/differential-calculus/18-20-
rectangular-beam-in-maxima-and-minima-problems
● https://mathalino.com/reviewer/differential-calculus/12-14-
rectangular-lot-problems-in-maxima-and-minima
●

Page 14 | 14