Thread: LaGrange Multipliers

Grrr... This problem has been stressing me out for the past half hour


Find the extreme values of f(x,y) = xy on the ellipse ((x^2)/8) + ((y^2)/2) = 1


i've gone ahead and figured out the gradient f and g and ended up with (we'll call L lambda since I don't know how to insert that

y = (Lx)/4

x = Ly

((x^2)/8) + ((y^2)/2) = 1

I've gotten it down to this system of equations but i'm having trouble solving for this. Any help is appreciate.

Hello, Jonathan!

Sorry, your set-up is all wrong . . .

Find the extreme values of on the ellipse

We want the extreme values of with the constraint: .

Our function is: .


Then: .


Now solve that system . . .

Wow... just wow... you made it so much easier.



I just figured it out using my same setup but this would of been so much easier. This is what I did


Eq. 1 = y = (Lx)/4

Eq. 2 = x = Ly

Eq. 3 = ((x^2)/8) + ((y^2)/2) = 1


I substituted Eq.2 into Eq.1 for the x value and ended up with L = +2 and -2

Taking the value of lambda of +2 I put it in Eq.2 and got x = 2y

I then subbed 2y for the x value in Eq.3 and ended up with a y value of +1 and -1. Finding x is simple and got +2 and -2

I ended with extreme values of 2 and -2 for my final answer. All in all though, your way seems WAYYY easier and i'm gonna try it right now. Thanks!