[MAA 5.

8] OPTIMISATION
SOLUTIONS
Compiled by: Christos Nikolaidis

A. Practice questions

1. (a) L  5  (2 sin x  2)  3  2 sin x

dL
(b)  2 cos x
dx
π 3π
2 cos x  0  cos x  0  x  or x 
2 2
π 3π
Table of signs (or 2nd derivative test) gives min at x  max at x 
2 2
Lmin  1 , Lmax  5

2. (a) D  ( x  5) 2  ( 2 x) 2  x 2  10 x  25  4 x 2  5 x 2  10 x  25
dD 1 5x  5
(b)  (10 x  10) 
dx 2 5 x  10 x  25
2
5 x  10 x  25
2

dD
(c)  0  x  1 (using table of signs we easily see it gives a min)
dx
P(1,2) and the minimum distance is D  20

3. METHOD 1
1
(a) Let D  (a  2)2  (a2  )2
2
dD 1  1  1 1
(b)  2(a  2)  2(a2  )2a  2a  4  4x3  2a  4a3  4
da 2   2  2  2 

2
 a3 1

dD
(c)  0  a3 1  0  a  1
da

(i) The point is (1, 12) i.e. (1, 1)

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(ii) The minimum distance is D  (  1.12 )
2

Notice :
1
we can also use the GDC graph for the function D  ( x  2)2  ( x2  )2
2
It has a minimum at (1, 1.12)
Hence (i) The point is (1, 12) i.e. (1, 1)
(ii) The minimum distance is D = 1.12

1
4. (a) 2x  2 y  40  x  y  20  y  20  x
(b) A  x (20  x)  20x  x2
dA
(c)  20  2x
dx
20  2x  0  x  10
d2 A
 2  0 so x  10 gives a maximum.
dx2
It is a square of side x  10 and the maximum area is A  100
(d) The domain of A  x (20  x) is 0  x  20 . At the endpoints x  0 and x  20 , the area A  0

100
5. (a) xy  100  y 
x
200
P  2x  2 y  2x 
x
dP 200
(b)  2 2
dx x
200
2  2  0  x2  100  x  10
x
d2 P 400
  0 for x  10 , so it gives a minimum.
dx2 x3
It is the square of side x  10 and the minimum perimeter is P  40
200
(c) The domain of P  2x  is x  0 . When x  then P can be as large as possible!
x

1000
6. (a) x2 y  1000  y 
x2
1000 4000
(b) S  2x2  4xy  2x2  4x 2
 2x2 
x x
dS 4000
(c)  4x  2
dx x
4000 4000
4 x  2  0  4 x  2  x3  1000  x  10
x x
2
d S 8000
2
 4 3
dx x
d2S
For x  10 ,  0 hence max
dx 2
Smax  600

7. (a) Base = 2a , Height = f (a)  80  a4

S  2a(80  a4 )  160a  2a5
dS
(c)  160  10a 4
da
160  10a 4  0  a 4  16  a  2
d2S d2S
 40 a3
. For a  2 ,  0 , hence max
da2 da2
Smax  256

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A. Exam style questions (SHORT)

8. (a) METHOD 1
l + 2w = 60  l = 60  2w
A = w(60  2w)= 60w  2w2
dA
= 60  4w
dw
60  4w = 0  w = 15
METHOD 2
w + 2l = 60  w = 60  2l
A = l(60  2l)= 60l  2l2
dA
= 60  4l
dl
60  4l = 0  l = 15 and so w = 30
(b) Amax  450

9. METHOD 1
525
let AB = x, AD =
x
525 525 3150
Cost C = 3(AD + BC + CD) + 11AB = 3  3  11x  3 x =  14 x
x x x
EITHER
sketch of cost function
min at x = 15, minimum cost is 420 (dollars)
OR
using derivatives
3150
C(x)   14x
x2
 3150
 14  0  x = 15
x2
minimum cost is C = 420 (dollars)
METHOD 2
525
let AD = x, AB =
x
 525  525 7350
Cost C = 3(AD + BC + CD) + 11AB = 3 x  x    11, = 6 x 
 x  x x
EITHER
sketch of cost function
min at x = 35, minimum cost is 420 (dollars)
OR
using derivatives
7350
C′(x) = 6 –
x2
7350
6–  0  x = 35
x2
minimum cost is C = 420 (dollars)

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10. (a) 6x2  6 y2  300  x2  y2  50  y  50  x 2
3
(b) V  x 3  (50 x 2 ) 2 .
dV 3
 3x2  (50  x2 )1/2 2x  3x2  3x 50  x2
dx 2
dV
 0  3x2  3x 50  x2  0  x  50  x2  x2  50  x2  x  5
dx
Then y  5 . We have two similar cubes of total volume V  53  53  250 .
3

Notice: By using GDC, graph mode, the minimum of the function V  x 3  (50 x 2 ) 2 is (5,250)
So the minimum value is 250
250
11. (a) V = 250π cm3  r2h = 250π  h 
r2
500π
Now S = 2r2 + 2rh  S = 2r2 +
r
dS 500π
(b)  4πr  2
dr r
dS 500π
for min S we need  0  4πr  2  r 3  125  r  5
dr r
250 250
(c) h 2   10 , hence h  2r (where 2r is the diameter)
r 25

12. (a) f (x)  g( x)  x2  4x  x2  2x2  4x  0  2x( x  2)  0  x  0 or x  2

Hence, a  2
(b) L  4 x  x 2  x 2  4 x  2 x 2
dL
(c)  4  4x
dx
4  4x  0  x  1
d2 A
 4  0 , so x  1 gives a maximum.
dx2
Lmax  2

13.

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14. METHOD 1
1
D  ( x  2) 2  ( x 2  ) 2
2
By using GDC graph of D
The minimum point is (0.682, 1.63)
(a) The minimum distance is 1.63 (3 s.f.)
(b) The nearest point P is (0.682,0.6822)
METHOD 2
(a) Let S = AP2 = (x – 2)2 + (x2 + 1
2
)2 .

dS
= 2(x – 2) + 4x(x2 + 1
2
) = 4(x3 + x2 + 1)
dx
Solving x3 + x – 1 = 0 gives x = 0.68233

Therefore, minimum distance = (0.68233  2) 2  (0.68233 2  0.5) 2 = 1.63

(b) The nearest point P is (0.682,0.6822)

15.
y y= x 2

B(a, b)

0 A(6, 0) x

b = a2
(a) S = AB2 = (a – 6)2 + a4
dS
 2( a  6)  4a 3  0  ( a  6)  2a 3  0  2a 3  a  6  0
da

(b) By GDC , a = 1.33

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16.
1.0

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0.0
x 
(a) Area = ( – 2x) sin x.
(b) Maximum Area = 1.12 units2

2 2
17. (a) A = 2x × e – x = 2x e – x
dA 2
(b) = 2 (1 – 2x2) e – x
dx
dA 1
= 0 when x =
dx 2
1
–
2
Amax = 2e (or 0.858)

18.

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B. Exam style questions (LONG)
19. (a) f ( x )  g ( x ) , points of intersection (0, 2) and (1.33,15.3)

(b) (i) p = (10x + 2) – (1 + e2x) = 10x – e2x + 1

dp
(ii) = 10 – 2e2x
dx
dp 1n 5
= 0 (10 – 2e2x = 0)  x =
dx 2
d2 p
 4e 4 x always <0, hence a maximum.
dx 2
(iii) p  5ln 5  e ln 5  1  5ln 5  4 (  4.08)
20. (a) A = ½ ×2×2×sin θ = 2sin θ
(b) triangle OPA has the same height and the same base as triangle OPB
then both triangles have the same area
OR
½ ×2×2×sin(π− θ) = ½ ×2×2×sin θ since sin(π− θ) = sin θ
(c) S = Area of semicircle – shaded area = 2π − 4 sin θ = 2(π − 2 sin θ)
dS
(d)  4 cos 
d

4 cos   0   
2
S   4 sin 

At   , S   4  0 so it gives a minimum.
2
(e) S is greatest when sin θ is smallest (or equivalent), so when θ = 0 or θ = π.

21. (a) Intersection at (4,2)

(b) S  (8  2x) x  8 x  2x3/ 2 ,

4 4
(c) S   3x1/ 2  3 x
x x
4 4
S  0   3 x  4  3x  x 
x 3

4 4 16 2 32 3
Smax  (8  2 )  
3 3 3 3 9

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22.

(iii)

23. (a) (i) x = 3 cos θ, (ii) y = 3 sin θ

(b) A = 2x × 2y = 4 × 3 sin θ × 3 cos θ = 36 sin θ cos θ = 18 sin 2θ
dA
(c) (i) = 36 cos 2θ
d
dA π π
(ii) = 0  36 cos 2θ = 0  2θ = θ=
d 2 4
2
d A
(iii) = –72 sin 2θ
d 2
 d2 A
At , = –72 < 0, so it gives a maximum
4 d 2

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24.

O r
A

C N B

(a) h  r sin  CB  2CN  2r cos

h
Using T  (r  CB)
2
r2 r2
T  (sin   2sin  cos )  (sin   sin 2 )
2 2
dT r 2
(b)  (cos  2cos 2 )  0 (for max)
d 2
 cos  2(2cos 2   1)  4cos 2   cos  2  0
 cos  0.5931 (  0.9359)
d 2T r 2
 ( sin   4sin 2 )
d 2 2
d 2T
  0.9359    2.313r 2  0
d 2
 there is a maximum (when   0.9359 )

(c) In triangle AOB: AB  2r sin
2

Perimeter OABC  2r  2r cos  2r sin  75
2
When   0.9359 , r  18.35 cm
r2 18.352
Area OABC  (sin   sin 2 )  (sin 0.9359  sin 1.872)  296 cm 2
2 2
4a  2x
25. (a) (i) Let x be one side of the rectangle. The other side will be y   2a  x
2
Then the area is given by A  x (2a  x)  2ax  x 2
2
a a a a2 3 2
(ii) For x  , A  2a     a2   a
2 2  2 4 4
dA
(iii)  2a  2x  0  x  a
dx
d2 A
 2  0 so x  a gives a maximum.
dx2
It is a square of side x  a and the maximum area is Amax  a2

9
 a2
(b) (i) Let x be one side of the rectangle. The other side will be y  .
x
2a 2
Then the perimeter is given by P  2x 
x
2
a a 2a
(ii) For x  , P  2   a  4a  5a
2 2 a
2

dP 2a2
(iii)  2  2  0  x2  a2  x  a
dx x
2
d P 400
  0 for x  a , so it gives a minimum.
dx2 x3

It is a square of side x  a and the minimum perimeter is Pmin  4a

V
26. (a) V  π r 2h  h 
π r2
V 2V
S  2πrh  2πr2  2πr 2  2πr2   2πr2
πr r
dS 2V
(b)   2  4πr
dr r
dS 2V V
(c)  0  2  4πr  2V  4πr 3  V  2πr 3  r  3
dr r 2
2
d S 4V
 3  4π  0 , hence it is a minimum.
dr 2 r
2V
(d) The domain of S   2πr 2 is r  0 and S tends to infinity when r is very large.
r
There is no cylinder of maximum total surface area.

S
27. (a) S  2πrh  2πr2  2πrh  S  2πr 2  h  r
2πr
 S  S
V  π r 2h  π r 2   r   r  π r3
 2 πr  2
dV S
(b)   3π r 2
dr 2
dV S S
(c)  0   3π r 2  r 
dr 2 6π
2
dV
 6πr  0 , hence it is a maximum.
dr 2
S
(d) Since V  r  π r 3  0  Sr  2 π r 3  0  r ( S  2 π r 2 )  0
2
S S
The domain of V  r  π r 3 is 0  r  .
2 2π
At the endpoints, the volume is 0. This is the minimum value.

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