Hoshiar Mal, M.

Tech (India Institute of Technology Madras)

Foundation for Liberal And Management Education

Jaideep Bungalow, Plot No. 2, Prathamesh Park, S. No. 150/7,

Baner-Balewadi Road, Pune 411 045

Example 3.   Find the dimensions of the rectangle with the most area that
can be inscribed in a semi-circle of radius r.  Show, in fact, that the area of
that rectangle is r².
Solution.   First, it should be clear that there is a rectangle with the

greatest area, as the figures above show.

Let x be the base of the rectangle, and let y be its height.  Then,
sincer is the radius:

  = r²

  = r²
 

 
 
x² + 4y²= 4r².
  Therefore,
  y=
Let A be the area we want to maximize.  A  =  xy.  That is,
  A=
 

  According to the product rule:

dA
  =
dx
 

 
 
 
−x² + (4r² −x²)= 0.
  This implies:
 
 
x²= 2r²
  x=
 

 
 
This is the base of the largest rectangle.  As for the height  y:
  y=
 

  y=
 

  y=
The area of this largest rectangle, then, is

Problem 1.   Find two numbers whose sum is 42 

Example 2.   A box having a square base and an open top is to contain 108
cubic feet.  What should its dimensions be so that the material to make it
will be a minimum?  That is, what dimensions will cost the least?

Solution.   Let x be the side of the square base, and let y be its height. Then
 
 
Area of base =  x².
 
 
Area of four sides =  4xy.
 
 
Let M be the total amount of material.  Then
  M =  x² + 4xy.
Now, how shall we express y in terms of x?
We have not yet used the fact that the volume must be 108 cubic feet.
The volume is equal to
x²y = 108.
Therefore,
108
y=
 x²
  and therefore in the expression for M,
108
4xy= 4x·  =
 x²
M=

=
 

  This implies, on multiplying through by the denominator x2:

 

2x3 − 432= 0
 

x3= 216
 

x= 6 feet.
  We can now evaluate  y:
y=
These are the dimensions that will cost the least.