Math 2443 Homework #6

Solutions
Section 15.8
Use Lagrange Multipliers to find the maximum and minimum values of the function subject
to the given constraint.
4. f (x, y) = 4x + 6y; x2 + y 2 = 13.
solution: Let g(x, y) = x2 + y 2 . Then, the Lagrange Multiplier Equations (fx = gx ,
fy = gy and g(x, y) = 13) are
4 = 2x
6 = 2y
x2 + y 2 = 13.
Clearly, 6= 0 (as = 0 would violate the first two equations). Thus, from the first two
equations, we get x = 2 and y = 3 . Substituting in the last equation, we get = 1 and
thus (2, 3) are the solutions. We have
f (2, 3) = 8 + 18 = 26
f (2, 3) = 26

f (2, 3) = 8 18 = 10

f (2, 3) = 8 + 18 = 10

Thus, subject to the constraint, the maximum value of f is 26 and the minimum value is
26.
6. f (x, y) = exy ; x3 + y 3 = 16.
Solution: Let g(x, y) = x3 + y 3 . The Lagrange Multiplier Equations (fx = gx , fy = gy
and g(x, y) = 16) are
yexy = 3x2
xexy = 3y 2
x3 + y 3 = 16.
How do we find all solutions x, y and ? Clearly both x and y cant simultaneously be
zero (and thus 6= 0) since (0, 0) does not satisfy the constraint equation if x 6= 0, y 6= 0,
so we can divide the first equation by the second equation to get
y
x2
= 2,
x
y
1

Solutions

so y 3 = x3 , or y = x and substituting in the constraint equation, we get 2x3 = 16 or

x = 2. Thus, y = 2 and (2, 2) is the only solution.
We have
f (2, 2) = e4 .
Thus, subject to the constraint, the maximum value of f is e4 and there is no minimum
value
8. f (x, y, z) = 8x 4z; x2 + 10y 2 + z 2 = 5.
Solution: Let g(x, y, z) = x2 + 10y 2 + z 2 . The Lagrange Multiplier Equations (fx =
gx , fy = gy , fz = gz and g(x, y, z) = 5) are
8 = 2x
0 = 20y
2

4 = 2z

x + 10y + z 2 = 1.

Note that 6= 0 since = 0 would violate the first three equations. Hence, we get x = 4 .
Since 6= 0, we have y = 0 in the second equation. Also, from the third equation, we get
z = 2 . Substituting these values in the constraint equation, we get
 2
 2
2
4
+0+
= 1.

That is, 2 = 20, so = 2 5. This means that x = 25 and z = 15 . Hence, the

solutions are ( 25 , 0, 15 ). We have



2
1
1
20
2

f (
4( ) =
, 0,
) = 8
5
5
5
5
5


1
2
2
12
1
f ( , 0, ) = 8
4( ) =
5
5
5
5
5




2
1
1
20
2
+4
=
f ( , 0, ) = 8
5
5
5
5
5




2
2
1
1
12
f ( , 0, ) = 8
+4
= .
5
5
5
5
5
Thus, subject to the constraint, the maximum value of f is
value.

20

20
and
is the minimum
5

Math 2443 Homework #6

10. f (x, y, z) = x2 y 2 z 2 ; x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 1.
Solution: Let g(x, y, z) = x2 + y 2 + z 2 . Then, the Lagrange Multiplier equations (fx =
gx , fy = gy , fz = gz and g(x, y, z) = 1) are
2xy 2 z 2 = 2x
2yx2 z 2 = 2y
2zx2 y 2 = 2z
x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 1.
One way to solve this system of equations is to multiply the first equation by x, the second
equation by y and the third equation by z. Once we do this the left-hand sides of the
new equation will all be equal. Hence the right-hand sides will be equal as well. That
is, 2x2 y 2 z 2 = 2x2 = 2y 2 = 2z 2 . In other words, (x2 y 2 ) = 0, (y 2 z 2 ) = 0 and
(x2 z 2 ) = 0. Now, we either have = 0 or x2 = y 2 = z 2 . If = 0, it means that the
right-hand side of each of the first three equations is zero. That is,
xy 2 z 2 = 0
yx2 z 2 = 0
zx2 y 2 = 0.
Now, we have the following cases.
(i) One variable is zero, the other two are not zero.
(ii) Two variables are zero and the third non-zero. We know that all three variables
cant simultaneously be zero since (0, 0, 0) does not satisfy the constraint.
In both the above cases you get f (x, y, z) = 0 at these points.
If 6= 0 then x2 = y 2 = z 2 . Substituting this in the constraint equation, we get
= 1 and x = 13 and thus y = 13 = z. Since the function consists of all square
terms we dont nee to evaluate it all these points separately. We have

3x2

1
1
1
1
f ( , , ) = .
27
3
3
3
Thus, subject to the constraint, the minimum value of f is 0 and the maximum value is
12. f (x, y, z) = x2 + y 2 + z 2 ;

x4 + y 4 + z 4 = 1.

1
27 .

Solutions

Solution: Let g(x, y, z) = x4 + y 4 + z 4 . The Lagrange Multiplier Equations are

2x = 4x3
2y = 4y 3
2z = 4z 3
x4 + y 4 + z 4 = 1.
The first three equations are identical to those obtained for a problem we did in the class.
You can find it in the notes posted online. Again, there will be three different cases (one
variable zero the other two non-zero, two variables zero and the third non-zero and all of
them non-zero). I will just produce the answer herebut you have to show all the steps.
The minimum value is 1 and the maximum value is 3.
18. Find the extreme values of f on the region described by the inequality
f (x, y) = 2x2 + 3y 2 4x 5,

x2 + y 2 16

Solution:. There are two main steps. First, we find the critical points of f on the interior
of the given region, then we use Lagrange multipliers to find the extreme values of f on
the boundary.
(a) We have fx (x, y) = 4x 4 and fy (x, y) = 6y. Thus, the only critical point of f is (1, 0)
and f (1, 0) = 7.
(b) Next, we find the extreme values of f on the boundary x2 + y 2 = 16 by using Lagrange
multiplier. Let g(x, y) = x2 + y 2 . Then the Lagrange Multiplier Equations (fx = gx ,
fy = gy and g(x, y) = 16) are
4x 4 = 2x
6y = 2y

x + y 2 = 16.
By the second equation, we have y(3 ) = 0, so either y = 0 or = 3. If y = 0 then
by the third equation, we get x = 4. Hence (4, 0) are solutions. If = 3 then
by the
3. Hence
first equation,
we
get
x
=
2.
From
the
last
equation,
this
gives
us
y
=
2

(2, 2 3) are also solutions. We calculate

f (4, 0) = 11
f (4, 0) = 43

f (2, 2 3) = 47
Comparing values from (a) and (b) we see that the maximum and minimum values of the
function f on the given region are 47 and 7 respectively.