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Maximum & Minimum
Values
Section 4.3
The mileage of a certain car can be approximated by:
m ( v ) = 0.00015v3 − 0.032v 2 + 1.8v + 1.7
At what speed should you drive the car to
obtain the best gas mileage?
Of course, this problem isn’t entirely realistic, since it is very
unlikely that you would have an equation like this for your car!
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We could solve the problem graphically:
m ( v ) = 0.00015v 3 − 0.032v 2 + 1.8v + 1.7
We could solve the problem graphically:
m ( v ) = 0.00015v 3 − 0.032v 2 + 1.8v + 1.7
The car will get approximately 32 miles per gallon
when driven at 38.6 miles per hour.
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m ( v ) = 0.00015v 3 − 0.032v 2 + 1.8v + 1.7
Notice that at
the top of the
curve, the
horizontal
tangent has a
slope of zero.
Traditionally, this fact has been used both as an aid to
graphing by hand and as a method to find maximum
(and minimum) values of functions.
Absolute extreme values are either maximum or
minimum points on a curve.
They are sometimes called global extremes.
They are also sometimes called absolute extrema.
(Extrema is the plural of the Latin extremum.)
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Extreme values can be in the interior or the end
points of a function.
This function does not
D = ( −∞, ∞ ) have an absolute
maximum, but does have
an absolute minimum.
Absolute
Maximum
Absolute Minimum
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3
Absolute
Maximum
2
1
y = x2
-2 -1 0 1 2
D = ( 0, 2]
No Minimum
4 No maximum
y = x2
2
D = ( 0, 2 )
-2 -1 0 1 2
No minimum
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Local Extreme Values:
A local maximum is the maximum value within
some open interval.
The number f(c) is a local maximum value of f if
f(c ) ≥ f(x) when x is near c.
A local minimum is the minimum value within
some open interval.
The number f(c) is a local minimum value of f if
f(c ) ≤ f(x) when x is near c.
Absolute maximum
(also local maximum)
Local maximum
Local
minimum
Local minimum
Local extremes
Absolute minimum are also called
(also local minimum) relative extremes.
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Absolute maximum
(also local maximum)
Local maximum
Local minimum
Notice that local extremes in the interior of the
function occur where f ʹ is zero or f ʹ is undefined.
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No minimum and
no maximum.
Overall Extreme Values:
Let c be a number in the domain D of a
function.
The number f(c) is an overall maximum
value of f if f(c ) ≥ f(x) for all x in D.
The number f(c) is a overall minimum value
of f if f(c ) ≤ f(x) for all x in D.
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Extreme Value Theorem:
If f is continuous on a closed interval [a, b], then f
attains an absolute maximum value f(c) and an
absolute minimum value f(d) at some numbers c and
d in [a, b].
Maximum & Maximum & Maximum at
minimum minimum interior point,
at interior points at endpoints minimum at
endpoint
Fermat’s Theorem:
If a function f has a local maximum value or a
local minimum value at an interior point c of its
domain, and if f ʹ exists at c, then f ʹ ( c ) = 0 .
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Critical Points:
A point in the domain of a function f at which f ʹ = 0
or f ʹ does not exist is a critical point of f .
Important Note:
Maximum and minimum points in the interior of a
function always occur at critical points, but critical
points are not always maximum or minimum
values.
Critical points are not always extremes!
2
y = x3
1
-2 -1 0 1 2
-1
fʹ=0
-2 (not an extreme)
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1
y = x1/ 3
-2 -1 0 1 2
-1
f ʹ is undefined.
-2 (not an extreme)
Example #1
Find the critical points of
3
f (x) = x 4 − x
5
( )
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Find the critical points of
3
We need to find the derivative.
f (x) = x 4 − x
5
( ) You can choose how to
differentiate!
3 8
f (x) = 4x − x 5 5
12 − 8x
−2 3
f ʹ(x) = 2
12 8 5x 5
f ʹ(x) = x 5 − x 5
5 5
3
12 8 5
f ʹ(x) = 2 − x
5
5x 5
When is the first derivative
equal to zero?
12 − 8x We only need to examine
f ʹ(x) = 2 the numerator!
5x 5
12 − 8x
0= 2
5x 5
0 = 12 − 8x Critical Point when x = 3/4
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When is the first derivative undefined?
12 − 8x We only need to examine
f ʹ(x) = 2 the denominator!
5x 5
2
0 = 5x 5
Critical Point when x = 0
0= x
Applying the Extreme Value
Theorem
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EXAMPLE #2: FINDING ABSOLUTE EXTREMA
Find the absolute maximum and minimum values of
f ( x ) = x 2 / 3 on the interval [ −2,3] .
f ( x ) = x2/ 3
2 − 13
f ʹ( x) = x
3
2 Because the function is defined over a
f ʹ( x) = 3 closed interval, we also must check the
3 x endpoints.
f ( x ) = x2/ 3 D = [ −2,3]
Be Careful! If a critical point is not in the given interval, it
should not be considered!
At: x=0 f (0) = 0
2
At: x = −2 f ( −2 ) = ( −2 ) ≈ 1.5874
3
2
At: x=3 f ( 3) = ( 3) ≈ 2.08008
3
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f ( x ) = x2/ 3 D = [ −2,3]
Absolute
minimum: ( 0, 0 )
Absolute
maximum: (3, 2.08)
At: x=0 f (0) = 0
2
At: x = −2 f ( −2 ) = ( −2 ) 3 ≈ 1.5874
2
At: x=3 f ( 3) = ( 3) ≈ 2.08008
3
15
