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1 Extreme Values. Why find extreme values of functions?. To optimize functions Find maximum profit Find minimum cost Find best dose of medicine Find best gas mileage per speed Etc…. Extrema (plural of extreme). Either minima or maxima Y values
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Why find extreme values of functions? • To optimize functions • Find maximum profit • Find minimum cost • Find best dose of medicine • Find best gas mileage per speed • Etc….
Extrema (plural of extreme) • Either minima or maxima • Y values • Occur at either x=c or at the point (c, f(c)) • Absolute or global extrema are the highest or lowest y value for the whole function – there can be at most one for each type • Relative or local extrema are a high or low value relative to the values around it – there can be more than one of either type • If no interval is specified in the problem, then we assume we are talking about the whole domain of the function • Relative extrema CANNOT occur at the endpoints of an interval. • Extrema do not have to be nice, tidy hills and valleys, they can be corners or cusps or discontinuities
Example 1 – Find any absolute and relative extrema on the indicated intervals
Extreme Value Theorem (EVT) • If f(x) is continuous on a closed interval [a,b], then f(x) has both a max and a min within that interval
So where do these extreme values occur? • The theorem doesn’t help us with that! • The graph of f(x) is shown below. What is the value of the derivative where the relative min and max occur? • If the derivative exists at the extreme value, f’ will always be = 0
Is every value where f’(x) = 0 a local extremum? • Example 2: Find the coordinates of any horizontal tangent of and determine if a relative extremum exists there.
Can relative extrema occur at any other place other than where f’(x)=0? • Example 3: Sketch the graph of and graphically find any relative extrema.
Critical Values • A critical value of a function is a value x=c such that f’(c) = 0 OR f’(c) DNE. • Relative extrema can only occur in an open interval at a critical value. • Absolute extrema can only occur at a critical value OR at an endpoint of an interval.
Steps for finding absolute extrema • Find critical points (f’(c)=0 or does not exist) • Evaluate f(x) at each critical point • Evaluate f(x) at each endpoint of interval • The smallest # from steps 2 and 3 is min • The largest # from steps 2 and 3 is max
Example 4 • Determine if the EVT applies. If so, find the extrema of on the interval [-1,2].
Example 5 • Determine if the EVT applies. If so, find the extrema of on the interval [-8,1].
Example 6 • Determine if the EVT applies. If so, find the extrema of on the interval
Example 7 – What do we do if there are not endpoints? • Find the extrema of . Use your calculator to verify.
Example 8 • Find the extrema of
Example 9 • It’s worth pointing out that even though the sufficient conditions of the EVT are met (the “if” part), a function may still have both an absolute max and min.