Math 126 Second Derivative Test and Lagrange Multipliers

Use the method of Lagrange multipliers to find the optimal solution to each problem.

1. Find the maximum value of f (x, y) = xy if (x, y) is a point on the ellipse 9x2 + 16y 2 = 144.

2. (a) Find the points on the curve x2 y = 16 that are closest to the origin.
(b) Find the points on the surface z = x + y 2 − 3 that are closest to the origin.

3. A rectangular box with no lid is to be constructed from 100 square inches of material. Find the
dimensions that will yield the box with largest volume.

4. In the Canadian postal system, the sum of a regular parcel’s length and girth cannot exceed 300 cm.
What are the dimensions of the largest volume rectangular box that can be shipped?

5. A closed rectangular box with volume 6 cubic feet is made from two different types of cardboard.
The top and bottom are made with a heavy-duty cardboard that costs 30 cents per square foot. The
sides are made from a light-weight cardboard that costs 5 cents per square foot. Find the dimensions
of the box that yield the lowest cost.

Use the second derivative test to find the optimal solution to each problem.

6. A company is aking two products. The demand functions are given by p1 = 26 − 2x and p2 = 18 − y
thousand dollars, where x and y are given in hundreds of units. The joint cost function is given by
C(x, y) = 2x2 + 4xy + y 2 . Find the maximum possible profit for the company.

7. In the Canadian postal system, the sum of a regular parcel’s length and girth cannot exceed 300cm.
What are the dimensions of the largest volume rectangular box that can be shipped?

8. A company makes two kinds of bottled water. Sparkling water costs $2 a bottle to produce and is
sold for $s per bottle, and the uncarbonated water (also known as tap water) costs $1 a bottle to
produce and is sold at $t per bottle. A marketing consultant has determined that the company will
sell n = 12 − 10s + 7t bottles of sparkling water and m = 15 + 8s − 9t bottles of tap water each day.
Determine the prices for each type of bottled water that maximize the company’s profit.

9. (a) A rectangular box with no lid is required to have a volume of 256 cubic inches. Determine the
smallest amount of material that will be needed.
(b) A rectangular box with no lid is to be constructed from 100 square inches of material. Find the
dimensions that will yield the box with largest volume.
Math 126 Answers, SDT and Lagrange

1. max value is 6

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2. (a) closest points are (±2 2, 2)
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(b) closest points are (1/2, ± 2, −1/2)

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3. max VOL when L = W = 10/ 3

4. max VOL when L = 100 and W = H = 50

5. min cost when L = W = 1 and H = 6

6. Profit = p1 x + p2 y − C(x, y); max profit when x = 2 (200 units) and y = 2.5 (250 units).

7. see lagrange

8. Profit = (s − 2)n + (t − 1)m; max profit when s ≈ $4.31 and t ≈ $4.15

9. (a) SA = LW + 2W H + 2LH; min SA when L=W=8.

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(b) max VOL when L = W = 10/ 3