4.

1
Extreme Values
of Functions
The textbook gives the following example at the start
of chapter 4:

The mileage of a certain car can be approximated by:

m  v   0.00015v 3  0.032v 2  1.8v  1.7

At what 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 an equation like this for
your car.
 We can graph this on the calculator…

m  v   0.00015v 3  0.032v 2  1.8v  1.7

Notice that at
the top of the
curve, the
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.
Find any maximum and/or
minimum points for the graph of:

y  x  4 x  3x  5
3 2

Notice that in
two critical
places, the
tangent has a
slope of zero.
In order to locate these points
precisely, we need to find the
values of x for which

y  3x 2  8 x  3  0
1
x  3,
y  (3 x  1)( x  3)  0 3
Find any maximum and/or
minimum points for the graph of:

y  x  4 x  3x  5
3 2

Without seeing the graph, how could we tell which of these

two points is the maximum and which is the minimum?

In order to locate these points

precisely, we need to find the
values of x for which

y  3x 2  8 x  3  0
1
x  3,
y  (3 x  1)( x  3)  0 3
 maximum 

Remember this 
graph from

when we first
discussed 

derivatives?       





minimum

  f (x)




f ´(x) > 0 f ´(x) < 0 f ´(x) > 0
increasing decreasing increasing
        


f ´(x)



Find any maximum and/or
minimum points for the graph of:

y  x  4 x  3x  5
3 2

+  +
x

     1   
max 3
min
So let’s test the intervals:
Important note: The above number line
without an explanation will not be
y  3x 2  8 x  3  0 considered sufficient justification on the
AP Exam
1
y  (3 x  1)( x  3)  0 x  3,
3
 y

Find any maximum and/or 
minimum points for the graph of: 


y  x  4 x  3x  5
3 2 






Now we have a way of 
finding maxima and minima. 

But we still need to better
x

      
classify these points… 





y  3x 2  8 x  3  0
1
y  (3 x  1)( x  3)  0 x  3,
3
Terms to remember for you note-takers:

Absolute maximum
Also called a global maximum
Local maximum
Also called a relative maximum
Note that an absolute
max/min is already a
local max/min
Local minimum
Also called a relative minimum

Notice that local extremes in the interior of the function

occur where f  is zero or f  is undefined.
Terms to remember for you note-takers:

Extreme Value= any maximum or minimum value of a

function

Absolute maximum = global maximum Absolute or

Global Extreme
Absolute minimum = global minimum Values

Relative maximum = local maximum Relative or Local

Extreme Values
Relative minimum = local minimum
Even though the graphing calculator and the computer can help
us find maximum and minimum values of functions, having the
wrong window setting could cause us to miss a max or min of a
function. However, the method we just used would find any
max or min regardless of where we are looking on a graph.
 Local Extreme Values:

If a function f has a local maximum value or a local

minimum value at an interior point c of its domain,
and if f  exists at c, then
f  c   0

Critical Point:

A point in the domain of a function f at which

or f  does not exist is a critical point of f .
Note:
Maximum and minimum points in the interior of a function
always occur at critical points, but critical points are not always
maximum or minimum values.
 Critical points are not always extremes!

yx 3

f0
(not an extreme)
yx
1/ 3

f  is undefined.
(not an extreme)
 Finding Maximums and Minimums Analytically:

1 Find the derivative of the function, and determine

where the derivative is zero or undefined. These
are the critical points.

2 Find the value of the function at each critical point.

3 Find values or slopes for points between the

critical points to determine if the critical points are
maximums or minimums.

4 For closed intervals, check the end points as

well.
Extreme values can be in the interior or the end points of
a function.

No Absolute
Maximum

yx 2

Absolute Minimum
D   ,  
 Absolute
Maximum

yx 2

Absolute Minimum
D  0, 2
 Absolute
Maximum

yx 2

No Minimum
D   0, 2
 No
Maximum

yx 2

No Minimum
D   0, 2 
 Extreme Value Theorem:
If f is continuous over a closed interval, then f has
a maximum and minimum value over that interval.

Maximum & Maximum & Maximum at

minimum minimum interior point,
at interior points at endpoints minimum at
endpoint
 FINDING ABSOLUTE EXTREMA
Find the absolute maximum and minimum values of
f  x   x 2 / 3 on the interval 2,3 .

f  x  x 2/3
There are no values of x that will make
1
the first derivative equal to zero.
2 
f x  x 3
3 The first derivative is undefined at x=0,
so (0,0) is a critical point.
2
f x  3
3 x Because the function is defined over a
closed interval, we also must check the
endpoints.
 f  x  x 2/3
D  2,3

At: x  0 f  0   0 To determine if this critical point is

actually a maximum or minimum, we
try points on either side, without
passing other critical points.

f  1  1 f 1  1
Since 0<1, this must be at least a local minimum, and
possibly a global minimum.
2
At: x  2 f  2    2   1.5874
3

2
At: x3 f 3  3  2.08008
3
 f  x  x 2/3
D  2,3

At: x  0 f  0   0 To determine if this critical point is

Absoluteor minimum, we
actually a maximum
try points on minimum:  
0, 0
either side, without
passing other critical points.
Absolute
f  1  1 f 1 1 maximum:  3, 2.08 
Since 0<1, this must be at least a local minimum, and
possibly a global minimum.
2
At: x  2 f  2    2   1.5874
3

2
At: x3 f 3  3  2.08008
3
 Absolute maximum (3,2.08)

Absolute minimum (0,0)

f  x  x 2/3
Now you are ready
to handle
Assignment 4.1…