National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal

Department of Mathematical and Computational Sciences

Engineering Mathematics I - MA110

Problem Sheet - 4
Extreme Values and Lagrange Multiplier Method

(1) Find and classify the critical points of the following functions.
(a) f (x, y) = (y − x)(1 − 2x − 3y).
(b) f (x, y) = xye−8(x +y ) .
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(c) f (x, y) = x3 + y3 − 3x − 12y + 20

(2) Let f (x, y) = 3x4 − 4x2 y + y2 . Show that on every line y = mx the function has a minimum
at (0, 0), but that there is no local minimum in any two-dimensional neighborhood of the
origin. Make a sketch indicating the set of points (x, y) at which f (x, y) > 0 and the set at
which f (x, y) < 0.
(3) Find the absolute minimum and absolute maximum of f (x, y) = 18x2 + 4y2 − y2 x − 2 on
the triangular region with vertices (−1, −1), (5, −1) and (5, 5).
(4) Determine all the local and absolute extreme values and the saddle points for the function
f (x, y) = xy(1 − x2 − y2 ) on the square region 0 ≤ x ≤ 1, 0 ≤ y ≤ 1.
(5) Find the extremum values of the following functions.
(a) Maximize f (x, y) = 49 − x2 − y2 , subjected to the constraint x + 3y = 10.
(b) Maximize/Minimize f (x, y) = 3x − y + 6, subjected to the constraint x2 + y2 = 4.
(c) Maximize/Minimize f (x, y, z) = x−2y+5z, subjected to the constraint x2 +y2 +z2 = 30.
(d) Maximize f (x, y, z) = x2 y3 z4 , subjected to the constraint 12x + 12y + 24z = 1.
(6) Find the points on the curve x2 + xy+y2 = 1 in the xy-plane that are nearest to and farthest
from the origin.
(7) Find the maximum and minimum values of the function Q(x, y) = 3x2 + 2xy + 3y2 on the
unit circle x2 + y2 = 1.
(8) Use the Lagrange multiplier method to find the points of the curve x3 + y2 = 1 that are
closest to the point (−1, 0).
(9) Use the Lagrange multiplier method to find the points of the level set x3 + y2 + z2 = 1 that
are closest to the point (−1, 0, 0).
(10) Find the points on the surface xyz = 1 closest to the origin.
(11) Find the points on the surface z2 = xy + 4 closest to the origin.
(12) Find the extremum values of the flowing functions.
(a) Minimize f (x, y, z) = x2 + y2 + z2 , subjected to the constraints x + y + z = 1 and
3x + 2y + z = 6.
(b) Maximize f (x, y, z) = 3xyz, subjected to the constraints x + y + z = 40 and x + y = z.
(13) Find the point closest to the origin on the line of intersection of the planes y + 2z = 12
and x + y = 6.
(14) Find the maximum value that f (x, y, z) = x2 + 2y − z2 can have on the line of intersection
of the planes 2x − y = 0 and y + z = 0.
(15) Find the extreme values of f (x, y, z) = x2 yz on the intersection of the plane z = 1 with the
sphere x2 + y2 + z2 = 10.
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(16) Find the highest and lowest points (measured from xy− plane) of the circle whose equa-
tion is formed by the intersection of the spheres
x2 + y2 + z2 = 16
(x + 1)2 + (y + 1)2 + (z + 1)2 = 27.