Applications of

Maxima and
Minima

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Learning Outcomes

1. Solve “max-min” problems.

2. Solve real-world problems involving time rates.
3. Solve rectilinear problems using derivatives.
4. Define differentials
5. Use differentiation formulas in differential form.

Application of Derivative and the Differential

What could be the applications of the
points of inflection?

Polynomial Curves
Applications of Maxima and Minima

✓ The methods of determining the maximum or minimum value of

a function in the preceding section find many applications in a
surprisingly wide variety of problems in science, engineering,
geometry, economics, and other disciplines concerned with
maxima and minima
✓ These problems, whether they are of practical importance or
simply of theoretical interest, are often referred to as “max-min”
problems. In solving problems of this type, no general rule
applicable in all cases can be given.

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Applications of Maxima and Minima

✓ However, the following may possibly be helpful:

1. Draw a figure whenever necessary and denote the variable
quantities by x, y, z, .etc
2. Identify the quantity to be maximized or minimized and
express it in terms of other variable quantities. If possible,
express this quantity in terms of one independent variable.
3. Find the first derivative of the function and set it to zero. The
roots of the resulting equation are the critical numbers which will
give the desired maximum or minimum value of the function.

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Example 1
max-min problem

A long strip of tin 30 cm wide is to be made into

a gutter with rectangular cross section by
turning up equal widths along the edges. Find
the depth of the gutter which yields the
greatest carrying capacity.

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Example 2
another max-min problem

A closed cylindrical tank in the figure is to

be made with a fixed volume. Find the
relative dimensions of the tank which will
require the least amount of material in
making it.

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Practice
another max-min problem

A closed right cylindrical tank is to have a

capacity of 𝟏𝟐𝟖𝝅 𝒎𝟑 . Find the dimensions
of the tank that will require the least
amount of material in making it.

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Related Rates

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Related Rates

✓ We recall that if y = f(x), then

is the rate of change of y with respect to x

✓ Hence, if y = f(t), then

is the rate of change of y with respect to t

If t = time, then it is simply referred to as time rate of

change
Application of Derivative and the Differential
Related Rates

✓ We recall that if y = f(x), then

time rate of change of x

✓ These rates of change are related by the equation

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Example 3
related rates

Find dy/dt if
y = x2 + 4x + 3

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Related Rates

✓ Thus, in practice, to find dy/dt of the equation y = f(x) we simply

get the derivative of y with respect to x and then multiply the
result by dx/dt .

✓ Many physical problems deal with rates of change of quantities

with respect to time. For instance, when water is poured into a
tank, water surface s rising with respect to time, and it may be
expressed in terms of the rate of change of the depth of the
water. If we denote this depth by h, then dh/dt is the time rate of
change of the depth.

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Related Rates

✓ Similarly, if V represents the volume, the dV/dt is the time rate of

change of the volume. If V = f(h), then, we have

✓ In solving “time rate” problems, it is important to observe that all

quantities which change with respect to time must be denoted
by letters.

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Do not substitute the numerical values of such variable until after
differentiation with respect to the time t is done.

Related Rates
Example 5
related rates

Ship A is 20 km west of another ship

B. If A sails east at 10 km/hr and at
the same time B sails north at 30
km/hr, find the rate of change of the
distance between them at the end
of ½ hour.

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Example 4
related rates

Water is poured into a

conical tank 6 m across the
top and 8 m deep at the
rate of 10 m3/min. How fast
is the water level rising
when the water in the tank
is 5 m deep?

Application of Derivative and the Differential

 Practice
related rates

A pebble is dropped into a calm

pond, causing ripples in the form of
concentric circles, as shown in the
figure The radius r of the outer
ripple is increasing at a constant
rate of 1 foot per second. When the
radius is 4 feet, at what rate is the
total area A of the disturbed water
changing?

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Rectilinear
Motion

Application of Derivative and the Differential

 What could be the real-world
applications of 4th derivatives?

Polynomial Curves
Rectilinear Motion

✓ A body which moves in a straight line is said to be moving in

rectilinear motion.
✓ If the moving body is small in comparison to the distance it
covers, then it is customarily referred to as a particle.
✓ Let s be the directed distance of a particle P from a fixed-point O
on a coordinate line, shown below.

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Rectilinear Motion

✓ Let s be the directed distance of a particle P from a fixed-point O

on a coordinate line, shown below.

✓ If the motion of P along the line is given by the equation s = f(t)

then the velocity v and the acceleration a are defined as follows:

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Rectilinear Motion

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Rectilinear Motion

✓ Thus, we note that the velocity is the time rate of change of the
distance while the acceleration is the time rate of change of the
velocity.
✓ The absolute value of the velocity is called the speed of the
particle.
✓ The sign of the velocity determines the direction of motion of a
particle P relative to its starting point. It can be shown that

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Rectilinear Motion

✓ The sign of the acceleration determines whether the velocity

increases with the time. It can also be shown that

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Example 6
rectilinear motion

The motion of a particle moving on a coordinate line is

given by

s = t3 – 6t2 + 9t + 3

Describe and diagram the rectilinear motion for t ≥ 0.

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Rectilinear Motion

✓ One of the most important types of rectilinear motion is that with

constant acceleration.
✓ For example, a freely falling body near the earth’s surface moves
with a constant acceleration.
✓ By freely falling, we mean that air resistance is neglected. The
constant of accelerated due to gravity is denoted by g and is
numerically equal to 32 ft/s2 or 9.80 m/s2.
✓ Consider a body in rectilinear motion which moves vertically
upward or downward.

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Rectilinear Motion

✓ Suppose a body is thrown vertically upward from a point A with

an initial velocity vo. It can be shown that its distance s ft from the
starting point A at the end of t sec is

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Rectilinear Motion

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Example 7
rectilinear motion

A body is thrown vertically upward from the ground

with an initial velocity of 96 ft/s. Find the maximum
height attained by the body.

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Differential: Definition
and Interpretation
Module 4.1
Learning Outcomes

1. Solve “max-min” problems.

2. Solve real-world problems involving time rates.
3. Solve rectilinear problems using derivatives.
4. Define differentials
5. Use differentiation formulas in differential form.
6. Apply differentials in calculating square roots,
percentage error and relative error.

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Differential:
Definition and
Interpretation

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Differential: Definition and Interpretation

✓ Consider a function defined by y = f(x) where x is the independent

variable. In Module 2, we introduced the symbol ∆x to denote the
increment of x.

✓ Now we introduce the symbol dx which we call the differential of

“differential of x”.

✓ Similarly, we shall call the symbol dy as the “differential of y”.

✓ To give separate meanings to dx and dy, we shall adopt the

following definitions of a function defined by the equation y = f(x).

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Definition 1: dx = ∆x

In words, this definition simply says that the differential of the

independent variable is equal to the increment of the
independent variable.

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Definition 2: dy = f’(x)dx

In words, this definition states that the differential of a function is

equal to its derivative multiplied by the differential of its
independent variable.

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Differential: Definition and Interpretation

✓ We emphasize that the differential dx is also an independent

variable which means that it may be assigned any value.

✓ Therefore, from Definition 2, we see that the differential dy is a

function of two independent variables, x and dx.

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Differential: Definition and Interpretation

✓ It should also be noted that while dx = ∆x, dy ≠ ∆y in general.

✓ Suppose dx ≠ 0 and we divide both sides of the equation

dy = f’(x)dx
by dx. Then, we get
dy/dx = f’(x)

✓ Note that this time dy/dx denotes the quotient of two differentials,
i.e., dy and dx.
Application of Derivative and the Differential
Differential: Definition and Interpretation

✓ Thus, definition of the differential makes its possible to define the

derivative of a function as the ratio of two differentials. That is,

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Differential: Definition and Interpretation

✓ The differential may be given a geometric interpretation. Consider

again the equation y = f(x) and let its graph be as shown in figure:
Differential: Definition and Interpretation

✓ Resulting from an increment of ∆x in x

✓ We also note that the

Differential
Formulas

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Differential Formulas

✓ Since we have already considered dy/dx as the ratio of two

differentials, the differentiation formulas in Module 2 may now be
expressed in terms of differentials by multiplying both sides of the
equation by dx. Thus,
Differential Formulas
Differential Formulas
Differential Formulas
Differential Formulas

✓ The symbol d is regarded as the operator which indicates the

process of finding the differential of a function.
Example 8
the differentials

𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒚 𝒊𝒇 𝒚 = 𝒙𝟑 − 𝟒𝒙𝟐 + 𝟓𝒙

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Example 9
the differentials

𝟐𝒙
𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒚 𝒊𝒇 𝒚 =
𝟑𝒙 − 𝟏

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Example 10
the differentials

𝐹𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝒅𝒚 𝑏𝑦 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑠 𝑖𝑓

𝒙𝒚 + 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒙 = 𝒍𝒏 𝒚

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Applications of the
Differential

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Applications of the Differential

✓ Let us consider again the graph in the figure.

Applications of the Differential

✓ Let us consider again

the graph in the figure.
If ∆x can get small enough that dy and ∆y are almost equal

Related Rates
Applications of the Differential

✓ We are saying, in effect, that dy may be used to approximate the

value of ∆y. Thus, while the at x + ∆x is

✓ Take note of the symbol used for the approximate value. The
symbol is read as “is approximately equal to.” But in MS Word, the
symbol is read as “approaches the limit” which makes sense when
interpreted from the context that when the value of ∆x gets
sufficiently small (approaches zero), f(x +∆x) is approximately
equal to y + dy.
Example 11
the differentials

Compute √37 approximately by use of differentials.

Application of Derivative and the Differential

 Example 12
the differentials

𝐼𝑓 𝒚 = 𝒙𝟑 + 𝟐𝒙𝟐 − 𝟑, 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑥𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑦 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑥 = 2.01.

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Example 13
the differentials

Each side of a square is increased by ∆x. Find the

approximate and true increase of the area A of the square.

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Applications of the Differential

Small Errors in Measurement

✓ The differentials are also used in approximate computation of

certain quantities due to small errors in measurement.
✓ For instance, if y = f(x) then an error dx in the measurement of x
leads to an approximate error dy in the quantity y.
✓ The approximate relative error (RE) in y is the ratio dy/y and the
approximate percentage error (PE) in y is (dy/y)(100).
Example 14
the differentials

The radius of a circle is measured to be 10 cm with an error of

0.05 cm. Find the relative error in the computed area.

Application of Derivative and the Differential

Example 15
the differentials

Find the approximate percentage error in the computed

volume V of a cube of edge x cm if an error of 2% is made in
measuring an edge.

Application of Derivative and the Differential