4.1 Extreme Values of Functions Created by Greg Kelly, Hanford High School, Richland, Washington Revised by Terry Luskin, Dover-Sherborn HS, Dover, Massachusetts

The textbook gives the following example at the start of chapter 4: The mileage of a certain car can be approximated by: At what velocity/speed should you drive the car to obtain the best gas mileage? Of course, this problem isn’t entirely realistic, since it is unlikely that you would have a modeling equation like this for your car.

We could solve the problem graphically: On the TI-84, we use 2 nd TRACE maximum, choose left and right bounds, and give a guess, and the calculator finds the speed that gives maximum mileage. [0,100], [0,50]

We could solve the problem graphically: On the TI-84, we use 2nd TRACE maximum, choose left and right bounds, and give a guess, and the calculator finds the speed that gives maximum mileage. The car will get approximately 32 miles per gallon when driven at 38.6 miles per hour.

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 absolute maximum or absolute minimum y-values over a particular interval. Even though the graphing calculator and the computer have eliminated the need to routinely use calculus to graph by hand and to find maximum and minimum values of functions, we still study the methods to increase our understanding of functions and the mathematics involved. They are sometimes called global extremes. They are also routinely called absolute extrema. (Extrema is the plural of the Latin extremum.)

Extreme values can be in the interior or at the end points of the interval we’re considering. absolute minimum is 0 (at x=0) (no absolute maximum!)

absolute minimum is 0 (at x=0) absolute maximum is 4 (at x=2)

(no absolute minimum) absolute maximum is 4 (at x=2)

(no absolute minimum) (no absolute maximum)

maximum & minimum at interior points maximum & minimum at endpoints maximum at interior point, minimum at endpoint Extreme Value Theorem: If f is continuous over a closed interval, then f has a maximum and minimum value somewhere on that closed interval. To be guaranteed that there exists BOTH a maximum AND a minimum on an interval, satisfy the conditions for the Extreme Value Theorem!

Local Extreme Values: A local maximum is the maximum value within some open interval (a small neighborhood). A local minimum is the minimum value within some open interval (a small neighborhood). Local extreme values are also called relative extrema.

also absolute minimum local minimum local maximum local minimum also absolute maximum local maximum local minimum

local maximum local minimum Notice that local extremes in the interior of the function occur where is zero or is undefined. (We also noted local extrema at the end points!) absolute maximum (also local maximum)

Critical Point: A point in the domain of a function f at which or does not exist is a critical point of f. Note: If a point is a relative maximum or minimum in the interior of an interval, then it always occurs at a critical point. Critical points are NOT always maximum or minimum values, they’re just the only likely candidates in the interval’s interior! (The “if” and “then” are NOT reversible!!)

EXAMPLE 3 FINDING ABSOLUTE EXTREMA Find the absolute maximum and minimum values of on the interval. There are no values of x that will make the first derivative’s numerator equal to zero… …the first derivative is undefined at x = 0, so (0,0) is one critical point. (Because the function is defined over a closed interval, the endpoints also need to be evaluated later.) Find all the interior relative extrema by letting the first derivative equal zero, or be undefined.

To determine whether this critical point is actually a maximum or minimum, we try function values on each side near x = 0, without passing other critical points. Since f(0)< f(-1) and f(0)< f(1), f(0) is a local minimum in the interior of the interval. Evaluate the endpoints of the interval to decide whether this is also a global minimum: At:

Absolute minimum: 0 (at x = 0) Absolute maximum: (at x = 3) At:

Interval Absolute maximum (3, 2.08) Interval Absolute minimum (0,0)

Finding Maxima and Minima Analytically: 1Find the derivative of the function, and determine where the derivative is zero or undefined. These are the critical points in the open interval. 2Find the value of the function at each critical point. 3Find values for x-values between the critical points to determine whether the critical points are local maxima or minima. 4For closed intervals, compare the endpoint values as well to find absolute max or min.

Critical points are not always extremes, but are always the only candidates in the interior! (a critical point, but not an extreme value!)

(but not an extreme value!) 