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Prep 3 SS · Mathematics
derivatives · Applications of derivatives

Function Optimization

Before you start, make sure you know: Applications of the derivative (High School Year 2 (semesters 3 and 4))
Before you start, make sure you know: Differentiation rules (High School Year 2 (semesters 3 and 4))

You run a business selling phone cases. What price should you set, how many units should you produce, what shape should you give a container so that profit is as high as possible or cost as low as possible? Everything you have learned (differentiating, studying the sign of $f'$, classifying local maxima and minima) comes together here. The procedure is always the same, in five steps, and mastering it is the key to this section. At the end we will return to the business question.

The procedure: five steps, always in the same order

Diagram with the five optimization steps: variable, function to optimize, constraint, derivative equal to zero, and final check. 1. Variable 2. Function to optimize 3. Constraint → one variable 4. f'(x) = 0 and domain 5. Check and answer
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Find two non-negative real numbers whose sum is exactly $20$, such that their product is as large as possible.

Find two non-negative real numbers whose sum is exactly $20$, such that their product is as large as possible.

Solve
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It is required to split the number $12$ into two positive parts such that the sum of their squares is a minimum. Use derivatives to find these parts.

It is required to split the number $12$ into two positive parts such that the sum of their squares is a minimum. Use derivatives to find these parts.

Solve

Maximum profit: the classic business question

Profit (earnings) is revenue minus cost. If you are already given the function, the work is to differentiate and classify. If you are given revenue and cost separately, first you subtract: $U(x)=I(x)-C(x)$.

Over what interval is there a profit? Break-even points

Sometimes they ask for what production level the business makes money, that is, when $I(x)>C(x)$, or $U(x)>0$. It is solved in three steps: form $U(x)=I(x)-C(x)$, find its roots (the break-even points, where $U=0$), and study the sign of $U$ between them.

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A cell phone accessories company has determined that the monthly profit $B(x)$, expressed in pesos, from selling $x$ custom phone cases is given by the function:…

A cell phone accessories company has determined that the monthly profit $B(x)$, expressed in pesos, from selling $x$ custom phone cases is given by the function:

$B(x) = -x^2 + 120x - 500$

How many cases must be sold to achieve maximum profit? What is this maximum profit?

Solve
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The visibility of a social media post (measured by the number of "likes") during the first $10$ hours after uploading follows the function: $V(t) = 20t^2 - 2t^3$ where…

The visibility of a social media post (measured by the number of "likes") during the first $10$ hours after uploading follows the function:

$V(t) = 20t^2 - 2t^3$

where $t$ is the time in hours ($0 \le t \le 10$). At what moment does the post reach its peak visibility?

Solve
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An online urban clothing store has estimated that its daily revenue in pesos follows the function $I(p) = -2p^2 + 120p$, where $p$ is the average price in pesos of its…

An online urban clothing store has estimated that its daily revenue in pesos follows the function $I(p) = -2p^2 + 120p$, where $p$ is the average price in pesos of its garments. On the other hand, its daily expenses are modeled by $G(p) = 40p + 100$. Find the price $p$ they should set so that the daily profit (Revenue $-$ Expenses) is maximum. Also determine the amount of this maximum profit.

Solve
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Consider the total manufacturing cost function of an electronic component $C(x) = \frac{1}{3}x^3 - 6x^2 + 40x + 100$, where $x$ represents the number of units produced…

Consider the total manufacturing cost function of an electronic component $C(x) = \frac{1}{3}x^3 - 6x^2 + 40x + 100$, where $x$ represents the number of units produced in thousands. The sales revenue function is $I(x) = 28x - x^2$.

  1. a) Determine the production interval in which the company makes a profit (where $I(x) > C(x)$).
  2. b) Calculate the number of units that maximises monthly profit and the value of this maximum profit.
  3. c) For what value of $x$ is the average cost per unit, defined as $Q(x) = \frac{C(x)}{x}$, at a minimum?
Solve

Minimum cost and average cost

If the cost function is already a parabola that opens upward, its minimum is found the same way: $C'(x)=0$ and $C''>0$. But if they ask for the average cost (per unit), you have to build another function.

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The manufacturing cost of a batch of wireless headphones is given by the function $C(x) = 2x^2 - 80x + 2000$, where $x$ is the number of units produced. How many units…

The manufacturing cost of a batch of wireless headphones is given by the function $C(x) = 2x^2 - 80x + 2000$, where $x$ is the number of units produced. How many units must be manufactured to minimise total production cost?

Solve
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The total manufacturing cost of $x$ units of a wireless headphone model is given by the function $C(x) = 4x^2 + 200x + 10\,000$ pesos. The unit selling price depends on…

The total manufacturing cost of $x$ units of a wireless headphone model is given by the function $C(x) = 4x^2 + 200x + 10\,000$ pesos. The unit selling price depends on demand and follows the formula $p(x) = 1\,400 - 2x$. Determine how many units must be manufactured and sold for the company's total profit to be at a maximum.

Solve

Maximum revenue: adjusting the price

When raising the price makes you lose customers, revenue is (price) × (quantity), and both factors depend on the same variable.

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A farmer knows that if he plants $100$ orange trees on his plot, the average yield per tree is $400$ kg of fruit per year. For each additional tree planted, the average…

A farmer knows that if he plants $100$ orange trees on his plot, the average yield per tree is $400$ kg of fruit per year. For each additional tree planted, the average yield per tree decreases by $2$ kg due to overcrowding. The total yield is given by:

$P(x) = (100 + x)(400 - 2x)$

where $x$ is the number of additional trees planted. Find the value of $x$ that maximises the total annual yield.

Solve
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A "booktuber" has found that the impact of their videos (measured in thousands of daily views) depends on the time $t$ (in days) elapsed since publication, according to…

A "booktuber" has found that the impact of their videos (measured in thousands of daily views) depends on the time $t$ (in days) elapsed since publication, according to the function $V(t) = \frac{100t}{t^2 + 9}$. Determine on which day the video reaches its maximum impact and what that maximum number of views is.

Solve
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A marketing study for a streaming platform indicates that the monthly number of subscribers, in thousands, varies according to the monthly subscription price $x$ (in…

A marketing study for a streaming platform indicates that the monthly number of subscribers, in thousands, varies according to the monthly subscription price $x$ (in pesos) following the function $S(x) = \frac{48}{x} + x - 10$ for prices between $4$ and $15$ pesos. Calculate the subscription price that minimizes the number of subscribers. Justify whether this result is useful for the company from the revenue perspective.

Solve

Geometry problems: the domain of the variable

Here there is a fixed amount of material (fence, cardboard) and you look for the shape that uses it best. The procedure is identical, but it is clearer that the variable has a range limited by the geometry itself.

With a fixed volume, the procedure is similar: the constraint is the volume and the function to minimize is the surface area (the material).

Distances and costs with roots

When the function measures a distance, a square root appears. It is differentiated with the chain rule (the one from DER-CAD):

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A group of students wants to fence off a rectangular area in the school playground for a charity market. If they have $40$ meters of fencing in total, determine the…

A group of students wants to fence off a rectangular area in the school playground for a charity market. If they have $40$ meters of fencing in total, determine the dimensions of the rectangle (length and width) enclosing the maximum possible area.

Maximum Area A = x · y x (length) y (width) Perimeter = 2x + 2y = 40
Solve
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A rectangular wooden frame is to be made for an advertising poster that must have an area of $16$ $m^2$. Calculate the dimensions of the poster so that the cost of the…

A rectangular wooden frame is to be made for an advertising poster that must have an area of $16$ $m^2$. Calculate the dimensions of the poster so that the cost of the wood for the frame is at a minimum (that is, so that the perimeter is at a minimum).

x y Area = 16 m²
Solve
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A professional cooking workshop designs an open-topped steel container with a square base for preserving food. The container must have a volume of $13.5$ liters (…

A professional cooking workshop designs an open-topped steel container with a square base for preserving food. The container must have a volume of $13.5$ liters ($13.5\ \text{dm}^3$). Determine the dimensions of the base side ($x$) and height ($h$) that minimize the amount of steel used (that is, the total surface area of the container) and calculate this minimum surface area.

Solve
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An open-topped cardboard box in the shape of a rectangular prism with a square base is to be designed for a new tablet model. The volume of the box must be exactly…

An open-topped cardboard box in the shape of a rectangular prism with a square base is to be designed for a new tablet model. The volume of the box must be exactly $2000 \text{ cm}^3$. Find the dimensions of the box (base side and height) that minimize the amount of cardboard used in its manufacture.

V = 2000 cm³ (Open top) x x h
Solve
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An advertising poster for a music festival is to be printed with a total area of $2 \text{ m}^2$. The poster must have margins of $10 \text{ cm}$ at the top and bottom,…

An advertising poster for a music festival is to be printed with a total area of $2 \text{ m}^2$. The poster must have margins of $10 \text{ cm}$ at the top and bottom, and $5 \text{ cm}$ at the left and right sides. Calculate the total dimensions of the poster so that the area of the printed region is as large as possible.

Total area = 2 m² Printed area 10 cm 10 cm 5 cm 5 cm x y
Solve
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A delivery drone needs to travel from a charging point $A(0, 4)$ to a warehouse $B(10, 2)$. To optimize its battery, the drone must land at a point $P(x, 0)$ on a…

A delivery drone needs to travel from a charging point $A(0, 4)$ to a warehouse $B(10, 2)$. To optimize its battery, the drone must land at a point $P(x, 0)$ on a wireless charging platform located on the x-axis, and from there continue towards $B$.

However, the energy consumption per kilometer flying over the platform is $25\%$ lower than flying directly towards it. The total energy cost function is $E(x) = \sqrt{x^2 + 16} + 0.75\sqrt{(10-x)^2 + 4}$. Find the exact position of the point $P$ that minimizes the total energy consumption.

Charging platform x 10-x 4 2 d₁ d₂ (−25% cost) A(0,4) B(10,2) P(x,0) 0 10
Solve

Maxima and minima on a closed interval

If the variable lives only on an interval $[a,b]$, the optimum may be at a critical point or at an endpoint. Evaluate the function at all the candidates and compare.

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A young programmer is designing a time management application. He has determined that a user's productivity, measured in "focus points", follows the function…

A young programmer is designing a time management application. He has determined that a user's productivity, measured in "focus points", follows the function $P(t) = -t^3 + 9t^2 + 21t$, where $t$ is the time in hours elapsed since the start of the working day ($0 \le t \le 8$). Calculate at what time of day the user reaches maximum productivity and how many points they obtain at that moment.

Solve
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A logistics center is located at a strategic point whose daily truck traffic flow is modeled by the function $T(t) = t^3 - 15t^2 + 72t + 50$, where $t$ is the time of…

A logistics center is located at a strategic point whose daily truck traffic flow is modeled by the function $T(t) = t^3 - 15t^2 + 72t + 50$, where $t$ is the time of day in hours ($0 \leq t \leq 24$).

Calculate the times at which the maxima and minima (relative and absolute) of the truck flow occur during the working day. If the center's management decides to carry out maintenance work when traffic is decreasing most rapidly (minimum slope), at what time should it schedule these tasks? (Hint: look for the point of inflection of $T(t)$).

Solve

Extension: exponentials and logarithms

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A technology company has launched a new social network. The number of active users, measured in millions, follows the function $U(t) = \frac{40t^2}{e^{0.5t}}$, where $t$…

A technology company has launched a new social network. The number of active users, measured in millions, follows the function $U(t) = \frac{40t^2}{e^{0.5t}}$, where $t$ is the time in months since its launch ($t \geq 0$). Simultaneously, the monthly maintenance costs in thousands of pesos are given by the function $C(t) = 10t + 5$.

Determine in which month the number of active users reaches its maximum level. At what time is the difference between the number of users (in millions) and the maintenance cost (divided by 100 to align scales) at its maximum? Justify whether this maximum is absolute by analyzing the long-term behavior of the function.

Time t (months) Users U(t) (millions) 2 4 6 8 10 12 20 40 60 80 100 0 U(t) C(t)/100 Absolute Maximum (4, 86.6) U(t) → 0 as t → ∞
Solve
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A market research study for a new personalized training application determines that the monthly profit $B(x)$, in hundreds of pesos, depends on the subscription price…

A market research study for a new personalized training application determines that the monthly profit $B(x)$, in hundreds of pesos, depends on the subscription price $x$ (in pesos), according to the function:

$B(x) = (x - 5)^2 \times \ln(x - 4)$ for $x > 4$.

Calculate the subscription price that maximizes profit in the interval $[6, 15]$. Check whether there is any inflection point in this interval indicating a change in the growth trend of profits.

Solve
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We wish to design a container for a limited edition of a premium perfume. The container must be shaped as a cylinder topped with a glass hemisphere. The total volume of…

We wish to design a container for a limited edition of a premium perfume. The container must be shaped as a cylinder topped with a glass hemisphere. The total volume of the container must be exactly $250 \text{ cm}^3$. The cost of the material for the base and the cylindrical side is $2 \text{ \$/cm}^2$, while the glass for the top hemisphere, being decorated, costs $5 \text{ \$/cm}^2$.

Calculate the dimensions (radius $r$ and height of the cylinder $h$) that the container must have so that the manufacturing cost is a minimum. (Remember that the volume of a sphere is $V = \frac{4}{3}\pi r^3$ and its surface area is $S = 4\pi r^2$).

r = ? r = ? h = ? Hemisphere Cost: $5/cm² Base + Side Cost: $2/cm² V = 250 cm³ Minimise Cost
Solve
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A farmer has $120$ meters of fencing to enclose a piece of land divided into three equal, adjoining rectangular plots, as shown in the figure. The farmer wants to…

A farmer has $120$ meters of fencing to enclose a piece of land divided into three equal, adjoining rectangular plots, as shown in the figure. The farmer wants to maximize the total enclosed area. Furthermore, the cost of the outer fence is $200 \text{ \$/m}$, but the fence used for the internal partitions is lighter and costs only $80 \text{ \$/m}$.

If the total budget for the fencing is $\$20\,000$, calculate the dimensions of each plot so that the total area is as large as possible. Note that here the constraint is not the total length of fencing, but the total budget available.

y x x x $200/m $80/m
Solve
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A window is in the shape of a rectangle surmounted by an equilateral triangle. The total perimeter of the window (including the base of the triangle separating the two…

A window is in the shape of a rectangle surmounted by an equilateral triangle. The total perimeter of the window (including the base of the triangle separating the two parts) is $12 \text{ meters}$.

Calculate the dimensions of the rectangle (base $x$ and height $y$) so that the total area of the window is maximum and the light entering is as great as possible. (Recall that the area of an equilateral triangle with side $x$ is $A = \frac{\sqrt{3}}{4}x^2$).

y x x x x
Solve

Summary

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