CALCULUS II

Chapter 1: FUNCTIONS OF SEVERAL VARIABLES

LE THAI THANH

HCMC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

Unit 3: MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM VALUES

MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM
VALUES
Definition 1: A function f px , y q of two variables has a local
maximum at pa, bq if f px , y q ď f pa, bq when px , y q is near
pa, bq. [This means that f px , y q ď f pa, bq for all points px , y q
in some disk with center pa, bq.] The number f pa, bq is called
a local maximum value. If f px , y q ě f pa, bq when px , y q is
near pa, bq, then f has a local minimum at pa, bq and f pa, bq
is a local minimum value.
Theorem 1: If f has a local maximum or minimum at pa, bq
and the first-order partial derivatives of f exist there, then
fx pa, bq “ 0 and fy pa, bq “ 0.

Definition 2: A point pa, bq is called a critical point (or sta-

tionary point) of f if fx pa, bq “ 0 and fy pa, bq “ 0, or if one
of these partial derivatives does not exist.

The Theorem says that if f has a local maximum or minimum

at pa, bq, then pa, bq is a critical point of f . However, as
in single-variable calculus, not all critical points give rise to
maxima or minima. At a critical point, a function could have
a local maximum or a local minimum or neither.
Example 1: Let f px , y q “ x 2 ` y 2 ´ 2x ´ 6y ` 14. Then

fx px , y q “ 2x ´ 2, fy px , y q “ 2y ´ 6

These partial derivatives are equal to 0 when x “ 1 and

y “ 3, so the only critical point is p1, 3q. By completing the
square, we find that

f px , y q “ px ´ 1q2 ` py ´ 3q2 ` 4

Since px ´ 1q2 ě 0 and py ´ 3q2 ě 0, we have f px , y q ě 4

for all values of x and y . Therefore f p1, 3q “ 4 is a local
minimum, and in fact it is the absolute minimum of f .
Example 2: Find the extreme values of f px , y q “ y 2 ´ x 2 .

Solution : Since fx “ ´2x and fy “ 2y , the only critical

point is p0, 0q. Notice that for points on the x -axis we have
y “ 0, so f px , y q “ ´x 2 ă 0 (if x ‰ 0). However, for points
on the y -axis we have x “ 0, so f px , y q “ y 2 ą 0 (if y ‰ 0).
Thus every disk with center p0, 0q contains points where f
takes positive values as well as points where f takes negative
values. Therefore f p0, 0q “ 0 can’t be an extreme value for
f , so f has no extreme value.
Theorem 2 (Second Derivative Test): Suppose the second
partial derivatives of f are continuous on a disk with center
pa, bq, and suppose that fx pa, bq “ 0 and fy pa, bq “ 0 [that
is, pa, bq is a critical point of f ]. Let

D “ Dpa, bq “ fxx pa, bq ¨ fyy pa, bq ´ rfxy pa, bqs2

(a) If D ą 0 and fxx pa, bq ą 0, then f pa, bq is a local

minimum.
(b) If D ą 0 and fxx pa, bq ă 0, then f pa, bq is a local
maximum.
(c) If D ă 0, then f pa, bq is not a local maximum or
minimum.
NOTES
In case (c) the point pa, bq is called a saddle point of f and
the graph of f crosses its tangent plane at pa, bq. If D “ 0,
the test gives no information: f could have a local maximum
or local minimum at pa, bq, or pa, bq could be a saddle point
of f .

Example 3: Find the local maximum and minimum values

and saddle points of f px , y q “ x 3 ` y 3 ´ 3xy .

Solution : We first locate the critical points:

fx px , y q “ 3x 2 ´ 3y “ 0, fy px , y q “ 3y 2 ´ 3x “ 0
We obtain the equations y “ x 2 and x “ y 2 . Solving these
equations gives us two critical points p0, 0q and p1, 1q.
Next we calculate the second partial derivatives and Dpx , y q:

fxx “ 6x , fxy “ ´3, fyy “ 6y ,

Dpx , y q “ fxx fyy ´ pfxy q2 “ 36xy ´ 9

Since Dp0, 0q “ ´9 ă 0, it follows from case (c) of the
Second Derivatives Test that the origin is a saddle point;
that is, f has no local maximum or minimum at p0, 0q.
Since Dp1, 1q “ 27 ą 0 and fxx p1, 1q “ 6 ą 0, we see from
case (a) of the test that f p1, 1q “ ´1 is a local minimum.
Example 4: Find the shortest distance from the point
p1, 1, ´2q to the plane 3x ` 2y ` z “ 0.

Solution : The distance from any point px , y , zq to the point

p1, 1, ´2q is
a
d“ px ´ 1q2 ` py ´ 1q2 ` pz ` 2q2
but if px , y , zq lies on the plane 3x ` 2y ` z “ 0, then z “
´3x ´ 2y and so we have
a
d“ px ´ 1q2 ` py ´ 1q2 ` p2 ´ 3x ´ 2y q2

We can minimize d by minimizing the simpler expression

d 2 “ f px , y q “ px ´ 1q2 ` py ´ 1q2 ` p2 ´ 3x ´ 2y q2
By solving the equations
#
fx px , y q “ 2px ´ 1q ´ 6p2 ´ 3x ´ 2y q “ 20x ` 12y ´ 14 “ 0
fy px , y q “ 2py ´ 1q ´ 4p2 ´ 3x ´ 2y q “ 12x ` 10y ´ 10 “ 0
` 5 4˘
we find that the only critical point is 14 , 7 . Since fxx “ 20,
fyy “ 10, fxy “ 12, we have Dpx , y q “ 20 ˆ 10 ´ 122 “
56 ą 0 and fxx ą 0 so` by the ˘ Second Derivatives Test f
5 4
has a local minimum at 14 , 7 . Intuitively, we can see that
this local minimum is actually an absolute minimum because
there must be a point on the given plane that ? is closest to
5 4 3 14
p1, 1, ´2q. If x “ 14 and y “ 7 , then d “ 14 .
The shortest distance?from the point p1, 1, ´2q to the plane
3 14
3x ` 2y ` z “ 0 is .
14
Example 5: A rectangular box without a lid is to be made
from 12 m2 of cardboard. Find the maximum volume of such
a box.

Solution : Let the length, width, and height of the box (in
meters) be x , y , and z. Then the volume of the box is V “
xyz. We can express V as a function of just two variables x
and y by using the fact that the area of the four sides and
the bottom of the box is
12 ´ xy
2xz ` 2yz ` xy “ 12 ñ z“
2px ` y q
So the expression for V becomes
12 ´ xy 12xy ´ x 2 y 2
V “ xy “
2px ` y q 2px ` y q
We compute the partial derivatives:

BV y 2 p12 ´ 2xy ´ x 2 q BV x 2 p12 ´ 2xy ´ y 2 q

“ , “
Bx 2px ` y q2 By 2px ` y q2

BV BV
If V is a maximum, then “ “ 0, but x “ 0 or y “ 0
Bx By
gives V “ 0, so we must solve the equations
12 ´ 2xy ´ x 2 “ 0, 12 ´ 2xy ´ y 2 “ 0

These imply that x 2 “ y 2 and so x “ y . (Note that x and

y must both be positive in this problem.) If we put x “ y
in either equation we get 12 ´ 3x 2 “ 0, which gives x “ 2,
12 ´ 2 ¨ 2
y “ 2, and z “ “ 1.
2p2 ` 2q
We could use the Second Derivatives Test to show that this
gives a local maximum of v , or we could simply argue from
the physical nature of this problem that there must be an
absolute maximum volume, which has to occur at a critical
point of V , so it must occur when x “ 2, y “ 2, z “ 1.
Then V “ 2 ¨ 2 ¨ 1 “ 4, so the maximum volume of the box
is 4 m3 .
ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM AND
MINIMUM VALUES
Theorem 3 (Extreme Value Theorem for Functions of
Two Variables): If f is continuous on a closed, bounded
set D in R2 , then f attains an absolute maximum and an
absolute minimum value in D.

To find the absolute maximum and minimum values of a

continuous function f on a closed, bounded set D:
(a) Find the values of f at the critical points of f in D.
(b) Find the extreme values of f on the boundary of D.
(c) The largest of the values from steps 1 and 2 is the
absolute maximum value; the smallest of these values
is the absolute minimum value.
Example 6: Find the absolute maximum and minimum values
of the function f px , y q “ x 2 ´ 2xy ` 2y on the rectangle
D “ tpx , y q | 0 ď x ď 3, 0 ď y ď 2u.

Solution : Step 1: We find the critical points by solving

equations:
fx “ 2x ´ 2y “ 0, fy “ ´2x ` 2 “ 0

so the only critical point is p1, 1q, and the value of f there is
f p1, 1q “ 1.
Step 2: We look at the values of f on the boundary of D,
which consists of the four line segments:
L1 : 0 ď x ď 3, y “ 0. So f px , 0q “ x 2 . Its minimum value
is f p0, 0q “ 0 and its maximum value is f p3, 0q “ 9.
L2 : x “ 3, 0 ď y ď 2. So f p3, y q “ 9 ´ 4y . Its minimum
value is f p3, 2q “ 1 and its maximum value is f p3, 0q “ 9.
L3 : 0 ď x ď 3, y “ 2. So f px , 2q “ x 2 ´ 4x ` 4 “ px ´ 2q2 .
Its minimum value is f p2, 2q “ 0 and its maximum value is
f p0, 2q “ 4.
L4 : x “ 0, 0 ď y ď 2. So f p0, y q “ 2y . Its minimum value
is f p0, 0q “ 0 and its maximum value is f p0, 2q “ 4.
Thus, on the boundary, the minimum value of f is 0 and the
maximum is 9. In step 3 we compare these values with the
value f p1, 1q “ 1 at the critical point and conclude that the
absolute maximum value of f on D is f p3, 0q “ 9 and the
absolute minimum value is f p0, 0q “ f p2, 2q “ 0.
LAGRANGE MULTIPLIERS
In this section we present Lagrange’s method for maximizing
or minimizing a general function f px , y q subject to a con-
straint (or side condition) of the form gpx , y q “ k.

Theorem 4 (Method of Lagrange Multipliers): To find

the maximum and minimum values of f px , y q subject to the
constraint gpx , y q “ k (assuming that these extreme values
exist and ∇g ‰ 0 on the curve gpx , y q “ k):
(a) Find all values of x , y , z, and λ such that
∇f px , y q “ λ∇gpx , y q and gpx , y q “ k.
(b) Evaluate f at all the points px , y q that result from step
(a). The largest of these values is the maximum value
of f ; the smallest is the minimum value of f .
NOTE:
Note that ∇f px , y q “ λ∇gpx , y q is equivalent to fx “ λgx
and fy “ λgy and the value λ is called Lagrange Multiplier.

Example 7: Find the extreme values of the function f px , y q “

x 2 ` 2y 2 on the circle x 2 ` y 2 “ 1.

Solution : We are asked for the extreme values of f subject

to the constraint gpx , y q “ x 2 ` y 2 “ 1. Using Lagrange
multipliers, we solve the equations ∇f “ ∇g and gpx , y q “
1, which can be written as
2x “ 2x λ, 4y “ 2y λ, x2 ` y2 “ 1
From the first equation we have x “ 0 or λ “ 1. If x “ 0,
then y “ ˘1. If λ “ 1, then y “ 0 and x “ ˘1. Therefore
f has possible extreme values at the points p0, 1q, p0, ´1q,
p1, 0q, and p´1, 0q. Evaluating f at these four points, we find
that
f p0, 1q “ 2, f p0, ´1q “ 2, f p1, 0q “ 1, f p´1, 0q “ 1
Therefore the maximum value of f on the circle x 2 ` y 2 “ 1
is f p0, ˘1q “ 2 and the minimum value is f p˘1, 0q “ 1.

NOTE:
In case of three variables we consider the function f px , y , zq
with a constrain gpx , y , zq “ k, and
∇f “ λ∇g ô fx “ λgx , fy “ λgy , fz “ λgz
Example 8: Find the extreme values of the function
f px , y , zq “ 2x ` 4y ` 6z on the sphere x 2 ` y 2 ` z 2 “ 14.

Solution : Using Lagrange multipliers, we solve the equations

∇f “ ∇g and gpx , y q “ 14, which can be written as

2 “ 2x λ, 4 “ 2y λ, 6 “ 2zλ, x 2 ` y 2 ` z 2 “ 14

The value λ ‰ 0. We obtain x “ λ1 , y “ λ2 , z “ λ3 . Replace

into the constrain:
ˆ ˙2 ˆ ˙2 ˆ ˙2
1 2 3
` ` “ 14 ñ λ2 “ 1 ñ λ “ ˘1
λ λ λ
If λ “ 1, then x “ 1, y “ 2, z “ 3. If λ “ ´1, then
x “ ´1, y “ ´2, z “ ´3.Therefore f has possible extreme
values at the points p1, 2, 3q and p´1, ´2, ´3q. Evaluat-
ing f at these two points, we find that f p1, 2, 3q “ 28 and
f p´1, ´2, ´3q “ ´28.
Therefore the maximum value of f on the sphere x 2 `
y 2 ` z 2 “ 14 is f p1, 2, 3q “ 28 and the minimum value
is f p´1, ´2, ´3q “ ´28.
That’s all. Thanks a lot

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