# Max/Mins Without Numerical Values (On Graph)

• May 28th 2007, 05:24 PM
SportfreundeKeaneKent
Max/Mins Without Numerical Values (On Graph)
These are two different types of max min problems but I understand that they go on a graph instead of being the usual rectangle with a given value question.

http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/4438/45lc1.png
• May 28th 2007, 05:31 PM
Jhevon
Quote:

Originally Posted by SportfreundeKeaneKent
These are two different types of max min problems but I understand that they go on a graph instead of being the usual rectangle with a given value question.

http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/4438/45lc1.png

For the first:

two lines are parrallel if they have the same slope. the slope of the line is 9. so we simply want to find the $x$'s that make the tangent lines to the curve have a slope of 9. the derivative gives the formula for the slope of the tangent line.

$y = x^3 - 3x^2$

$\Rightarrow y' = 3x^2 - 6x$

Now we simply solve:

$3x^2 - 6x = 9$

i leave that to you
• May 28th 2007, 05:35 PM
Jhevon
Quote:

Originally Posted by SportfreundeKeaneKent
These are two different types of max min problems but I understand that they go on a graph instead of being the usual rectangle with a given value question.

http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/4438/45lc1.png

see http://www.mathhelpforum.com/math-he...ma-minima.html as a hint for the second

i assume you remember how to maximize a function
• June 1st 2007, 03:09 PM
SportfreundeKeaneKent
A question about the one with the tangent. Would you sub x=-1,3 (the two values I obtain after factoring and finding x) into y=x^3-3x^2 or into y=9x+7?

I'm guessing that you'd sub it into y=9x+7 to obtain the two points to be (3,34) and (-1,-2)
• June 1st 2007, 03:11 PM
Jhevon
Quote:

Originally Posted by SportfreundeKeaneKent
A question about the one with the tangent. Would you sub x=-1,3 (the two values I obtain after factoring and finding x) into y=x^3-3x^2 or into y=9x+7?

I'm guessing that you'd sub it into y=9x+7 to obtain the two points to be (3,34) and (-1,-2)

we want two points ON THE CURVE, therefore you would plug them into the original function to obtain the y-values for the points. we wouldn't sub them into the line, unless we knew that the line intersected with our curve exactly at the points where the slope of the curve is 9. so just plug them into $y = x^3 - 3x^2$

why did you think you would plug it into the line?
• June 1st 2007, 03:35 PM
SportfreundeKeaneKent
Oh wait, I wrote it the wrong way around. So the points are just (-1,-4) and (3,0)
• June 1st 2007, 03:39 PM
Jhevon
Quote:

Originally Posted by SportfreundeKeaneKent
Oh wait, I wrote it the wrong way around. So the points are just (-1,-4) and (3,0)

correct :D
• June 2nd 2007, 08:43 AM
curvature
tangent lines
tangent lines