Local Extremum of One-Variable Function

A. Definitions:

Critical, Maximum, Minimum and Inflection Points

P is (local) maximum point and Q is (local) minimum point.

1. A critical point (turning point) are point ( x, y) where f ( x )=0 .

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2. A (local) maximum point is a point ( x 0 , y 0 ) where f (x 0 )≥f ( x ) , for all x in

the neighborhood of x 0 . It means that

(i) f ( x )>0 for x< x0 ,

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(ii) f ( x 0 )=0 , and
f ( x )<0 for x> x0 ,
'
(i)
for all x in the neighborhood of x 0 .

3. A (local) minimum point of is a point ( x 0 , y 0 ) where f (x 0 )≤f ( x ) , for all x

in the neighborhood of x 0 . It means that

(i) f ( x )<0 for x< x0 ,

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'
(ii) f ( x 0 )=0 , and
(iii) f ( x )>0 for x> x0 ,
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 for all x in the neighborhood of x 0
''
4. Infection Point, f ( x )=0 .

Inflection points are point ( x, y) where the function changes concavity (concave
'' ''
up, f ( x )>0 , and concave down, f ( x )<0 ). It means that the second derivative
''
must equal zero at that point, f ( x )=0 .

B. Second Derivative Test

Let c is a point in the interval in which the function f (x) is defined.

(i) If f (c )=0 and f (c )<0 , then function f has a maximum point at (c ,f (c))
' ''

and f (c) is called maximum value of f .

f ' (c )=0 and f ' ' (c )=0 , then function f has an inflection point at
(ii) If
(c ,f (c))
(iii) If f (c )=0 and f (c )>0 , then function f
' ''
has a minimum point at
(c ,f (c)) and f (c) is called minimum value of f .

Example 1:
 3 2
Given f (x )=2 x −21 x +36 x−20 . Find the maximum and minimum values of
function f (x ) .

Solution:
3 2 ' 2 ''
Let f (x )=2 x −21 x +36 x−20 ⇒ f (x )=6 x −42 x+36 , and f ( x )=12 x−42
'
Stationery Point/Turning point, f ( x )=0
2
6 x −42 x +36=0 ⇔ 6 ( x−1 ) ( x−6 )=0⇒ x=1 or 6
''
When x=1 , f ( x )=12 x−42=−30<0 (negative)
''
When x=6 , f ( x )=12 x−42=30>0 (positive)

Hence,
f (x ) has maximum at x=1 and f (1 )=2(1)3 −21(1 )2 +36(1 )−20=−3 is a
maximum value.
f (x ) has minimum at x=6 and f (6)=2(6)3 −21(6 )2 +36 (6 )−20=−128 is a
maximum value.

The maximum and minimum values of f (x ) are respectively f (1 )=−3 and

f (6)=−128 , respectively.

Example 2:
1
x
Examine whether y=x possesses a maximum or a minimum and determine the
same.
Let
1
1
y=x x , log y = log x
x
1 dy 1 1 1
. = 2 − 2 log x= 2 (1−log x )
y dx x x x
1
dy y y −2
= 2 − 2 log x=x x (1−log x )−−−−( 1)
dx x x
1
dy −2
=0 ,⇒ 1−log x ⇒ x=e and x x =0 ( undefined )
dx
Differentiating (1) w. r . to x,

( ) 1
x 2 . − −( 1−log x ) 2 x
( )
2 2 x
1 dy 1 d y −3+2 log x
− 2 + . 2= =
y dx y dx 4 3
x x
1
d2 y −3+2
2
=e e .
When x = e, dx e 3 , which is negative
1

Therefore, f (x ) has maximum at x = e, and the maximum value is e .

e

Example 3:

A liquid form of penicillin manufactured by a pharmaceutical firm is sold in

bulk at a price of RM 200 per unit. If the total production cost for x units is
2
C( x )=500 , 000+80 x+0. 003 x
And if the production capacity of the firm is at most 30,000 units in a specified
time, how many units of penicillin must be manufactured and sold in that time to
maximize the profit?

Solution:
Since the total revenue for selling x units is R( x )=200 x , the profit P(x) on x
units will be
2
P( x)=R( x )−C( x )=200 x−(500 , 000+80 x+0 .003 x ) ---(1)
Since the production capacity is at most 30,000 units, x must lie in the interval
[0,30,000].
dP
=200−(80+0 . 006 x )=120−0 .006 x
From (1) dx
dP
=0 , ⇒120−0. 006 x=0
Setting dx
∴x=20,000
Since the critical number lies in the interval [0,30,000], the maximum profit
must occur at one of the values x = 0, x = 20,000 or, x = 30,000.
x=0 , ⇒ P( x)=−500 ,00
x=20000 ,⇒ P( x )=700 , 000
x=30000 ,⇒ P( x )=400 , 000
Therefore the maximum profit P= 700,000 occurs when x = 20,000 units
manufactured and sold in the spefied times.

Example:
An object is hurled upward from the roof of a building 10 m high. It rises and
then falls back; its height above ground t s after it is thrown is
2
y=−4 . 9t +8t+10 m,
until it strikes the ground. What is the maximum height above the ground that
the object attains? With what speed does the object strike the ground?

Solution:
The vertical velocity at time t during flight is

dy
v (t )= =−2(4 . 9 )t+8=−9 .8 t +8
dt m/s.
The object is rising when v>0, that is, when 0<t <8/9 . 8 , and is falling for t >
8/9.8. Thus, the object is at its maximum height at time t = 8/9.8 s, and this
maximum height is

( ) ( )
2
8 8
y max =−4 .9 +8 +10≈13. 27
9 .8 9 .8 m.
The time t at which the object strikes the ground is the positive root of the
quadratic equation obtained by setting y = 0,