Maxima and Minima of Functions of Two Variables

“Learn & Teach” Group Project

Calculus III; Math 203
May, 2008

Presented By:

Aya Khaled Al-Zarka (0748040)

Ranya Saeed Al-Malki (0632900)
Majda Abdo Al-Aazmi (0633025)
Nehad Al-Ahmady (0744818)
Zahra’a Sulaiman Al-Shehry (0632764)

* Some surprising saddle contours in ice found under a glacier near the Gold Range of the
Monashee Mountains in British Columbia. Photo by Stan Wagon, Macalester College.

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 Maxima and Minima of Functions of Two Variables

1-6 Introduction

In this paper we introduce the problem of finding maxima and minima for
functions of two variables. This topic is one of great importance in differential
calculus and its applications. We assume the reader is familiar with this problem
for functions of one variable. We are just going to extend the same material for
functions of two variables using partial differentiation instead of ordinary
differentiation. We start by defining extreme values (maxima and minima) of a
two-variable function. We then develop a method for finding them, show some
solved problems, and finally give a brief idea of the applications of this topic.

2-6 Maximum and Minimum Values

The concept of maximum and minimum values of a function of one variable can
be readily extended to functions of two variables.

Definition:
A function f of two variables has a local maximum at (a, b) if
f ( x, y ) ≤ f ( a, b) when (x, y) is near (a, b). [This means that f ( x, y ) ≤ f ( a, b)
for all points (x, y) in some disk with center (a, b).] The number f ( a, b) is called
a local maximum value. If f ( x, y ) ≥ f (a, b) when (x, y) is near (a, b), then
f ( a, b) is a local minimum value.

If f ( x, y ) ≤ f (a, b) for all (x, y) in the domain of f , we call f ( a, b) the absolute

(or global) maximum value of f . Likewise, if f ( x, y ) ≥ f (a, b) for all (x, y) in the
domain of f , we call f ( a, b) the absolute (or global) minimum value of f . In
this paper, however, we limit our discussion to local (or relative) maxima and
minima.

Now that we know the concept of extreme values of a function of two variables,
we need to develop a method to help us locate where exactly these values are.
The following theorem will be the starting point to determining maxima and
minima of a two-variable function.

Theorem:
If f has a local maximum or minimum at (a, b) and the first-order partial
derivatives of f exist there, then
f x ( a, b) = 0 and f y ( a, b) = 0 .
That is, if

2
 →

∇ f (a, b) =< f x ( a, b), f y ( a, b) >

=< 0,0 > .

Remember from single-variable calculus, a critical number for a function of one

variable f is a number c in the domain of f for which f ' (c) = 0 or f ' (c) does
not exist. For a two-variable function, a point (a, b) in the domain of f is called a
critical point (or stationary point) if f x ( a, b) = f y ( a, b) = 0 or if at least one of
these partial derivatives does not exist. The theorem says that every local
maximum or minimum value occurs at a critical point. So if we know all the
critical points of a function, we are sure that local extreme values, if they exist,
fall within these critical points. In this paper, we only consider critical points for
which f x ( a, b) = f y (a, b) = 0 .

Example 1-3: Find the critical points of the function

f ( x, y ) = x 2 + y 2 − 2 x − 6 y +14 .

Solution: The first partial derivatives of f are:

f x ( x, y ) = 2 x − 2
f y ( x, y ) = 2 y − 6

These partial derivatives are zero at the point (1, 3), so f has one critical point,
(1, 3).

Note for Finding Critical Points:

In Example 1-3, finding the critical points was easy (every equation is in one
unknown). In many problems, this is not always the case. We may get a system
of two linear equations (two unknowns). We may also get a system of two
nonlinear equations. In the last case, we use substitution to solve for x and y.

3-6 Saddle Points

Sometimes we can find a critical point ( a, b) whose value is neither a maximum

nor minimum, just as in one-variable calculus. This, in fact, happens when there
is no some area around the critical point where all the values of the function are
less or greater than its value at the critical point. In this case, the point
( a, b, f (a, b) ) , on the graph of the function f , is called a saddle point. The
significance of this name will be clear from the graph in the following example.

Example 2-3: Find the extreme values of the function f ( x, y ) = y 2 − x 2 .

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We first find the critical points of f : f x ( x, y ) = −2 x, and f y ( x, y ) = 2 y . Thus,
the first derivatives are both equal to zero at the point (0, 0). So, the function f
has one critical point, (0, 0).

The equation of this function, z = y 2 − x 2 , represents a hyperbolic paraboloid

shown in Figure 1-5.

Figure 1-5: z = y 2 − x 2

Thus, we see in Example 2 that the critical point at the origin of this hyperbolic
paraboloid corresponds to a saddle point- neither a maximum nor a minimum.

The following test will help us locate local maxima and minima of functions of two
variables.

4-6 The Second Partial Derivatives Test

Suppose the second partial derivatives of f are continuous on a disk with center
( a, b) , and suppose that f x (a, b) = 0 and f y ( a, b) = 0 [that is, ( a, b) is a critical
point of f ]. Let

D = D ( a, b) = f xx ( a, b) f yy ( a, b) −[ f xy ( a, b)] 2

(a) If D > 0 and f xx ( a, b) > 0 , then f ( a, b) is a local minimum.

(b) If D > 0 and f xx ( a, b) < 0 , then f ( a, b) is a local maximum.
(c) If D < 0 , then f ( a, b) is not a local maximum or minimum.

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Notice that in calculating the value of D, we need first calculate three important
quantities: f xx , f yy , and f xy .

Example 3-3: Find the local maximum and minimum values and saddle points of

f ( x, y ) = x 4 + y 4 − 4 xy +1.

Solution: We first find the critical points:

f x ( x, y ) = 4 x 3 − 4 y , f y ( x, y ) = 4 y 3 − 4 x

We now have to solve the system:

4x3 − 4 y = 0 (1)
4 y − 4x = 0
3
( 2)

Using substitution, we set y = x 3 ,from (1), in (2) to get

x9 − x = 0 (3)

By factoring (3) we realize it has three real roots: x =0,1, −1 . Thus, f has
three critical points: (0,0), (1,1), and ( −1,−1).

Now, to use the second partial derivatives test, we first find f xx , f yy , and f xy :

f xx ( x, y ) = 12 x 2 f yy ( x, y ) = 12 y 2 f xy ( x, y ) = −4

Then we calculate D for each critical point and get the following results:

D (0,0) = 0 − (−4) 2 = −16 < 0, f xx (0,0) = 0 > 0

D (1,1) = (12 )(12 ) − (−4) = 128 > 0,
2
f xx (1,1) = 12 > 0
D (−1,−1) = (12 )(12 ) − (−4) = 128 < 0, 2
f xx (−1,−1) = 12 > 0

Thus, it follows that f has two local minimum values at (1,1) and ( −1,−1) , a
saddle point at (0,0), see Figure 2-5.

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 Figure 2-5: z = x 4 + y 4 − 4 xy +1

Figure 3-5 will help you remember the second partial derivatives test.

Critical Point ( a, b)

Value of D ( a, b)

D<0 D>0

saddle point f xx ( a, b) >0 f xx ( a, b) <0

local min local max

Figure 3-5: Flow Chart for the Second Partials Test

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5-6 Solved Exercises

The following are outlined solutions of two problems from the exercises of section
15.7 of Stewart’s Calculus [2], page 997:

For each of the following functions, find the local maximum and minimum values
and saddle point(s). Then, graph the function with a domain and viewpoint that
reveal all important aspects of the function.

Exercise 5:

f ( x, y ) = 9 − 2 x + 4 y − x 2 − 4 y 2

Solution: The first partial derivatives of f are:

f x ( x, y ) = −2 − 2 x
and f y ( x, y ) = 4 −8 y .

1
Equating them to zero yields x = −1 and y = , which means f has one critical
2
point, (−1,0.5). Now, to calculate D , we need the second partial derivatives:

f xx ( x, y ) = −2, f yy ( x, y ) = −8, and f xy ( x, y ) = 0 .

So, we have

D ( −1,0.5) = ( −2)( −8) −0

=16 >0.

Thus, since D > 0 and f yy ( −1,0.5) < 0 , the function has a local maximum at the
critical point (−1,0.5) , see Figure 4-5.

Figure 4-5: z = 9 − 2 x + 4 y − x 2 − 4 y 2

Exercise 13:
f ( x, y ) = e x cos y

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Solution: The first partial derivatives of f are:

f x ( x, y ) = e x cos y
and f y ( x, y ) = −e x sin y.

Equating them to zero, we get the system:

e x cos y = 0
−e x sin y = 0.

This system asks us to find a real number y such that cos y = −sin y = 0 , since
e x is never zero. Because there is no such number, the system has no solution,
and, therefore, the function has no critical points. So, the function has no
maximum or minimum values. The graph of f is shown in Figure 5-5.

Figure 5-5: z = e x cos y

6-6 Applications

The topic we have discussed in this paper provides the underlying method for
solving well-known problems called optimization problems. These problems are
encountered in many different areas, such as in economics, engineering,
physics, and space industry, where the problem is to find the “best” way of doing
something. This involves formulating a function of one or two variables, and
applying the mathematical techniques to find maxima or minima. References for
interested readers are given in [7], and [8].

References

[1]- Applied Calculus, Andre L. Yandl, 1991.

[2]-Calculus, James Stewart, Fifth edition, 2003.

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[3]- The Historical Development of the Calculus, C. H. Edwards,1979.
[4]- Interactive Gallery of Quadric Surfaces, Jonathan Rogness, Journal of Online
Mathematics and its Applications (JOMA), 2005.
http://mathdl.maa.org/mathDL/4/?pa=content&sa=viewDocument&nodeId=618
[5]- Vector Calculus: Understanding the gradient
http://betterexplained.com/articles/vector-calculus-understanding-the-gradient/
[6]- http://www-math.mit.edu/18.02/applets/FunctionsTwoVariables.html
[7]- Applications of Extrema of Functions of Two Variables
http://www.math.wpi.edu/Course_Materials/MA1024D98/apps/node1.html
[8]- http://www.math.harvard.edu/archive/21a_fall_00/supplements/