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Problem Set #1 – Calculus Review -- Solutions

1. For the following functions, solve for the derivative with respect to 𝑥𝑥
a. 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥) = 𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏 − 𝑎𝑎𝑥𝑥 2 + 2

𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑(𝑥𝑥)
= 𝑏𝑏 − 2𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑

b. 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥) = 𝑎𝑎(2 − 3𝑥𝑥)2 + 𝑏𝑏

𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑(𝑥𝑥)
= 2𝑎𝑎(2 − 3𝑥𝑥) ⋅ (−3) = −12𝑎𝑎 + 18𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑

2. For each function in Question #1 above, what values of the parameter 𝑎𝑎 will make the function
convex? What values of 𝑎𝑎 will make the function concave?

A function is convex if the second derivative is positive. A function is concave is the second
derivative is negative. To determine what values of 𝑎𝑎 would result in either of the functions being
convex or concave, we first need to solve for the second derivative (i.e. the derivative of the above
derivatives):

a) Starting with the first function in question #1:

𝑑𝑑2 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥) 𝑑𝑑(𝑏𝑏 − 2𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎)

= = −2𝑎𝑎
𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥 2 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑

𝑑𝑑 2 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥)
If 𝑎𝑎 < 0, then 𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥 2
> 0, which would make the function 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥) = 𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏 − 𝑎𝑎𝑥𝑥 2 + 2 convex.
𝑑𝑑 2 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥)
If 𝑎𝑎 > 0, then 𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥 2 < 0, which would make the function 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥) = 𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏 − 𝑎𝑎𝑥𝑥 2 + 2 concave.

b) Next, looking at the second function in question #1:

𝑑𝑑2 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥) 𝑑𝑑(−12𝑎𝑎 + 18𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎)

= = 18𝑎𝑎
𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥 2 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑

𝑑𝑑 2 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥)
If 𝑎𝑎 > 0, then 𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥 2
> 0, which would make the function 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥) = 𝑎𝑎(2 − 3𝑥𝑥)2 + 𝑏𝑏 convex.
𝑑𝑑 2 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥)
If 𝑎𝑎 < 0, then 𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥 2 < 0, which would make the function 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥) = 𝑎𝑎(2 − 3𝑥𝑥)2 + 𝑏𝑏 concave.

3. Again using the functions from Question #1, assume that 𝑎𝑎 = 2 and 𝑏𝑏 = 4. For each function, at
what value for 𝑥𝑥 will the function have a slope of zero (i.e. be flat)? For each function, does this
value of 𝑥𝑥 maximize or minimize the function value?

Starting again with the function in part (a) from question #1, we can first substitute in the given
values for (𝑎𝑎, 𝑏𝑏) into the derivative:

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𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑(𝑥𝑥)
= 𝑏𝑏 − 2𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 = 4 − 2 ⋅ 2𝑥𝑥 = 4 − 4𝑥𝑥
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑

Now, we can set that derivative equal to zero and solve for the value of 𝑥𝑥 that makes the derivative
equal to zero:
4 − 4𝑥𝑥 = 0
4𝑥𝑥 = 4
𝒙𝒙 = 𝟏𝟏

The slope of the function is zero when 𝑥𝑥 = 1. To determine if this is a minimum or a maximum, we
simply need to know what the sign of the second derivative is. If it is positive, then this is a
minimum. If it is negative, then this is a maximum.

𝑑𝑑2 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥) 𝑑𝑑(𝑏𝑏 − 2𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎)

= = −2𝑎𝑎 = −4 < 0
𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥 2 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
The function (given the values of a and b) is concave. Therefore, 𝑥𝑥 = 1 maximizes the function
value.

We can follow the same process for the second function in Question #1 as well:

𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑(𝑥𝑥)
= −12𝑎𝑎 + 18𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 = −12 ⋅ 2 + 18 ⋅ 2𝑥𝑥 = −24 + 36𝑥𝑥 = 0
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
36𝑥𝑥 − 24 = 0
36𝑥𝑥 = 24
24 2
𝑥𝑥 = =
36 3
The slope is zero when x=2/3. This value of x minimizes the function because the second derivative
is positive:

𝑑𝑑2 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥) 𝑑𝑑(−12𝑎𝑎 + 18𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎)

= = 18𝑎𝑎 = 18 ⋅ 2 = 36 > 0
𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥 2 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑

4. For the following functions, solve for the partial derivatives with respect to both 𝑥𝑥 and 𝑦𝑦
a. 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥, 𝑦𝑦) = (4𝑥𝑥 − 𝑥𝑥 2 ) ⋅ (𝑦𝑦 + 2)

𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕(𝑥𝑥, 𝑦𝑦)
= (𝑦𝑦 + 2) ⋅ (4 − 2𝑥𝑥)
𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕

𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕(𝑥𝑥, 𝑦𝑦)
= (4𝑥𝑥 − 𝑥𝑥 2 )
𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕

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b. 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥, 𝑦𝑦) = 2𝑥𝑥 2 𝑦𝑦 2

𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕(𝑥𝑥, 𝑦𝑦) 1 1
= 𝑥𝑥 −2 ⋅ 𝑦𝑦 2
𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕
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𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕(𝑥𝑥, 𝑦𝑦) 1 1
= 𝑥𝑥 2 ⋅ 𝑦𝑦 −2
𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕

5. For both functions in Question #4 above, assume that 𝑦𝑦 = 4. Is there a value of 𝑥𝑥 that will maximize
the respective function? If the answer is “yes”, what is the value of 𝑥𝑥 that maximizes the function? If
the answer is “no”, why can’t we solve for the value of 𝑥𝑥 that maximizes the function?

Starting first with the function in part (a) above, we want to know when the partial derivative with
respect to 𝑥𝑥 is equal to zero. If there is a value of 𝑥𝑥 for which the partial derivative is zero, then this
will be the value that maximizes the function, given 𝑦𝑦 = 4, IF the function is concave (i.e. has a
negative second derivative):

𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕(𝑥𝑥, 4)
= (4 + 2) ⋅ (4 − 2𝑥𝑥) = 6 ⋅ (4 − 2𝑥𝑥) = 0
𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕
𝑥𝑥 = 2

The slope is zero when 𝑥𝑥 = 2, now we need to check whether the function, evaluated at 𝑦𝑦 = 4, is
concave:
𝜕𝜕 2 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥, 4) 𝜕𝜕�6 ⋅ (4 − 2𝑥𝑥)�
= = −12 < 0
𝜕𝜕𝑥𝑥 2 𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕

The function is concave in 𝑥𝑥 and the slope is zero when 𝑥𝑥 = 2, so we know 𝑥𝑥 = 2 maximizes the
function when 𝑦𝑦 = 4.

Now turning to the function in part (b), we can sub in 𝑦𝑦 = 4:

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𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥, 4) = 2𝑥𝑥 2 42 = 2 ⋅ 𝑥𝑥 2 ⋅ 2 = 4 ⋅ 𝑥𝑥 2

Right away, we can see that there is no value of x that will maximize this function – as 𝑥𝑥 goes to
infinity, the function value is constantly increasing. We can see that by solving for the derivative
with respect to 𝑥𝑥. The slope is positive for all values of 𝑥𝑥 > 0. This means that the function is always
increasing:

𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕(𝑥𝑥, 4) 1 2
= 2 ⋅ 𝑥𝑥 −2 = >0
𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕 √𝑥𝑥

6. Assume that we are constrained such that 𝑥𝑥 + 𝑦𝑦 = 2. Given that constraint, what are the values of 𝑥𝑥
and 𝑦𝑦 that will maximize the value of 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥, 𝑦𝑦) = 𝑥𝑥 ⋅ 𝑦𝑦 and what is the maximum value of the
function?

To solve for the values of 𝑥𝑥 and 𝑦𝑦 that maximize the function, we can first solve for 𝑥𝑥 as a function of
𝑦𝑦 using the constraint (𝑥𝑥 + 𝑦𝑦 = 2), and then plug this in for 𝑥𝑥 in the function. We will be left with
simply a function of 𝑦𝑦 which we can then solve for the unconstrained maximum:

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𝑥𝑥 + 𝑦𝑦 = 2
𝑥𝑥 = 2 − 𝑦𝑦

𝑓𝑓(2 − 𝑦𝑦, 𝑦𝑦) = (2 − 𝑦𝑦) ⋅ 𝑦𝑦 = 2𝑦𝑦 − 𝑦𝑦 2

𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑(2 − 𝑦𝑦, 𝑦𝑦)

= 2 − 2𝑦𝑦 = 0
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
𝑦𝑦 = 1

The function is maximized when 𝑦𝑦 = 1. If 𝑦𝑦 = 1, then from the constraint (𝑥𝑥 + 𝑦𝑦 = 2), we know
that the value of 𝑥𝑥 that maximizes the function (subject to the constraint) is 𝑥𝑥 = 1. So the function is
maximized when (𝑥𝑥, 𝑦𝑦) = (1,1).