Chapter 3: Partial derivatives

Lecture 3: Maximum and Minimum Values

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 Definition 1a. A function of two
variables f(x,y) has a local maximum
value at (a,b) if f(x,y) ≤ f(a,b) when
(x,y) near (a,b).

r  0, such that f ( x, y )  f (a, b)

if d (( x, y), (a, b)) = ( x - a) 2 + ( y - b) 2  r

 Definition 1b. A function of two variables f(x,y) has a local

minimum value at (a,b) if f(x,y) ≥ f(a,b) when (x,y) near (a,b).
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 Definition 2a. A function of two
variables f(x,y) has an absolute
maximum value at (a,b) if
f(x,y) ≤ f(a,b) for all (x,y) in the
domain of f

Definition 2b. A function of two variables f(x,y) has an

absolute minimum value at (a,b) if f(x,y) ≥ f(a,b) for all
(x,y) in the domain of f
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 We use the word
“extremum value” to
indicate that f has either
max or min value

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 Theorem. If f has a local maximum or minimum
at (a,b) and the first-order partial derivatives of
f exist there, then fx(a,b)=0 and fy(a,b)=0.

 Proof. Let g(x)=f(x,b). If f has a local

maximum (or minimum) at (a,b), then g has a
local maximum (or minimum) at x=a, so by
Fermat’s Theorem g’(a)=0. But g’(a)= fx(a,b) .
So fx(a,b)=0
 Similarly, by applying Fermat’s Theorem to the
function h(y)=f(a,y), we obtain fy(a,b)=0
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 A point (a,b) is called a critical point (stationary
point) of f if fx(a,b)=0 and fy(a,b)=0 , or if one of
these partial derivatives does not exist (singular
point).
 If f has a local maximum or minimum at (a,b), then
(a,b) is a critical point of f.
 However, as in single-variable calculus, not all critical
points are maxima or minima.
 At a critical point, a function could have a local
maximum or a local minimum or neither.

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Let f x (a, b) = f y (a, b) = 0 ((a,b) is a critical point)

f xx (a, b) f xy (a, b)
D = f xx (a, b) f yy (a, b) − ( f xy (a, b) )
2
=
f yx (a, b) f yy (a, b)
 (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 an extreme value

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 In case (c), where D<0, the point (a,b) is called a
saddle point of f and the graph of f crosses its
tangent plane at (a,b).
 If D=0, the test gives no information: f could have
a local maximum or local minimum at (a,b), or
(a,b) could be a saddle point of f.

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 Find the local maximum and minimum values and
saddle points of
f(x,y)=x3y + 12x2 -8y
-Critial points satisfy:
f x ( x, y ) = 3x 2 y + 24 x = 0, f y ( x, y ) = x 3 − 8 = 0  x = 2
 f x ( x, y ) = 12 y + 48 = 0  y = −4
Unique critical point: (2, −4)
f xx ( x, y ) = 6 xy + 24, f xy ( x, y ) = 3x , f yy ( x, y ) = 0
2

 D = −12  0. 2

Thus, (2,-4) is a saddle point of f 9

Example 2: Find the local maximum and minimum
values and saddle points of the function
f(x,y)=x2 + y2+ x2y + 4
Critial points:
f x ( x, y ) = 2 x + 2 xy = 0 

  x = 0, y = 0, or x =  2, y = −1
f y ( x, y ) = 2 y + x = 0 
2

P (0, 0), Q( 2, −1), R( − 2, −1)

𝑓𝑥𝑥 𝑥, 𝑦 = 2 + 2𝑦, 𝑓𝑥𝑦 𝑥, 𝑦 = 2𝑥, 𝑓𝑦𝑦 𝑥, 𝑦 = 2

𝐷 = 2 2 + 2𝑦 − 4𝑥 2
𝐴𝑡 𝑃: 𝐷 = 4 > 0, 𝑓𝑥𝑥 0,0 = 2 > 0. 𝑆𝑜, 𝑓 0,0 = 4 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑎𝑙 min 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒
𝐴𝑡 𝑄 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑅: 𝐷 = −8 < 0. So, Q and R are saddle points
A boundary point P of D is a
point such that every disk with
center P contains points in D
and also points not in D.

A closed set in R2 is one that

contains all its boundary
points.

A bounded set in R2 is one

that is contained within some
disk. In other words, it is
finite in extent.

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Ex: If f is continuous, then the following sets are closed
A = {( x, y ) | f ( x, y )  c}, A = {( x, y ) | f ( x, y ) = c}
B = {( x, y ) | f ( x, y )  c}, B = {( x, y ) | f ( x, y ) = c}
C = {( x, y ) | d  f ( x, y )  c},
C = {( x, y ) | f ( x, y ) = c}  {( x, y ) | f ( x, y ) = d }

Theorem: If f is continuous on a closed, bounded set D

in R2, then f attains an absolute maximum value f(a,b)
and an absolute minimum value f(c,d) at some points
(a,b) and (c,d) on D.

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For a continuous function f on a closed, bounded set D:

1. Find the values of f at the critical points of f inside D

2. Find the extreme values of f on the boundary of D

3. Compare the values from Steps 1 and 2: The largest is

the absolute maximum; the smallest is the absolute
minimum value.

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Find the absolute maximum and minimum values of
f(x,y)=x2 + y2+ x2y + 4
on the set R={(x,y) | |x| ≤1, |y| ≤ 1}.
y
1
B A

R 1 x
-1

B’ A’
-1

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Step 1: Find values of f at critical points
f x ( x, y ) = 2 x + 2 xy = 0 

  ( x = 0, y = 0), or (x =  2, y = −1)  R
f y ( x, y ) = 2 y + x = 0 
2

 Only one critical point (0,0)  R, and f (0, 0) = 4
y
1
B A

Step 2: Find max and min of f

R 1 x
-1
on boundary of R
f ( x, y ) = x 2 + y 2 + x 2 y + 4
B’ A’
-1

AA ' : x = 1  f (1, y ) = y 2 + y + 5, − 1  y  1
min f AA ' = f (1, −1/ 2) = 19 / 4, max f AA ' = f (1,1) = 7
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 y f ( x, y ) = x 2 + y 2 + x 2 y + 4
1
B A
AB : y = 1  f ( x,1) = 2 x 2 + 5, − 1  x  1
min f AB = f (0,1) = 5
R 1 x
-1
max f AB = f (1,1) = 7

B’ A’
-1

BB ' : x = −1  f (−1, y) = y 2 + y + 5, − 1  y  1
min f BB ' = f (−1, −1/ 2) = 19 / 4, max f BB ' = f (−1,1) = 7

A ' B ' : y = −1  f ( x, −1) = 5, − 1  x  1

min f A ' B ' = max f A ' B ' = 5 Step3 :
min f = f (0, 0) = 4
max f = f (1,1) = 7
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