Problem:

OAB is a triangle whose vertices are given. Find the dimensions of the rectangle
with maximum area inscribed in the triangle and with one of its sides on the side
OA of the triangle.

Solution to Problem:

• In the figure below, a rectangle with the top vertices on the sides of the
triangle, a width W and a length L is inscribed inside the given triangle. We
first need to find a formula for the area of the rectangle in terms of x only.

• The slope m1 of the line through OB is given by

m1 = (12 - 0) / (6 - 0) = 2

• Let (x,y) be the coordinates of the top left vertex of the rectangle. Hence

m1 = 2 = (y - 0) / (x - 0) = y / x
• Hence the width W of the rectangle is give by

W = y = 2x

• The slope m2 through AB is given by.

m2 = (12 - 0) / (6 - 10) = -3

• If the top right vertex of the rectangle has coordinates (x , y) then .

m2 = -3 = (y - 0) / (x - 10)

• Hence

y = -3x + 30

• if we substitute x by x + L in the above equation then y is equal to W the

width of the rectangle

y = W = -3(x + L) + 30

• We now equate the expressions of W = 2x and W = -3(x + L) + 30 to find

and expression for L

2x = -3(x + L) + 30

• Solve the above for L.

L = 10 - (5/3) x

• The area A is given by.

A = W L = 2x (10 - (5/3) x) = -(10 / 3) x 2 + 20 x

• A is a quadratic function of x, of the form ax 2 + bx + c, and its leading

coefficient a = -10 / 3 is negative hence it has a maximum value at the
critical value of the first derivative A' of A.

A'(x) = -(20/3) x + 20

• The critical point is found by solving the equation A'(x) = 0. Hence

-(20/3) x + 20 = 0

• The critical point is given by x = 3.

• The area A of the rectangle has a maximum value for x = 3, W = 2x = 6

and L = 10 - (5/3) 3 = 5
Problem 1: The diagram below shows the path that Wilson follows every
morning to take water from the river to his farm. Help Wilson minimize the total
distance traveled from his house to the farm.

Solution to Problem 1:

• METHOD 2: We "construct a virtual house" (projection) H on the other

side of the river and then for the distance d + D to be minimum we need to
have the points H, O and F to be collinear since the shortest distance
between two points is along a straight line. For these points to be on the
same line angle HOH' have to be equal (in size) to angle FOF' and the
tangent of the two angles have to be equal. Hence
• Calculate the tangent in terms of x for both angles as follows

tan(HOH') = 5 / x

tan(FOF') = 10 / (20 - x)

10 / (20 - x) = 5 / x

• Solve for x to obtain

x = 20 / 3 = 6.67 km (approximately)