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This document summarizes solving a constrained optimization problem using Lagrange multipliers. The problem is to find the points on an ellipse, defined by the intersection of a plane and paraboloid, that are nearest and farthest from the origin. The objective function is defined as the square of the distance from a point to the origin. Applying Lagrange multipliers results in a system of equations that is solved to find the critical points. Evaluating the objective function at the critical points reveals that the minimum distance is √3/2 at the point (1/2, 1/2, 1/2) and the maximum distance is √6 at the point (-1, -1, 2).

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
87 views

Name: Date

This document summarizes solving a constrained optimization problem using Lagrange multipliers. The problem is to find the points on an ellipse, defined by the intersection of a plane and paraboloid, that are nearest and farthest from the origin. The objective function is defined as the square of the distance from a point to the origin. Applying Lagrange multipliers results in a system of equations that is solved to find the critical points. Evaluating the objective function at the critical points reveals that the minimum distance is √3/2 at the point (1/2, 1/2, 1/2) and the maximum distance is √6 at the point (-1, -1, 2).

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Thaleia Mi
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Math 280, Intermediate Calculus name:

Sec. 14.8 Lagrange Multipliers date:

41. The plane x + y + 2z = 2 intersects the paraboloid z = x2 + y 2 in an ellipse. Find the points on the
ellipse that are nearest to and farthest from the origin.

4
2
0
-2
-4

-4
2
4
2 -2 0
0
-2
-2
0
-4 4
2
-2 0
2 -2
0
-4
2
4
4

Here, the two constraints are g (x, y, z) = x + y + 2z − 2 and h (x, y, z) = x2 + y 2 − z. Any critical
point that we find during the Lagrange multiplier process will satisfy both of these constraints, so we
actually don’t need to find an explicit equation for the ellipse that is their intersection.
Suppose that (x, y, z) is any point that satisfies both of q
the constraints (and hence is on the ellipse.)
2 2 2
Then the distance from (x, y, z) to the origin is given by (x − 0) + (y − 0) + (z − 0) . This expres-
sion (and its partial derivatives) would be cumbersome to work with, so we will find the the extrema
of the square of the distance. Thus, our objective function is

f (x, y, z) = x2 + y 2 + z 2

and

∇f = h2x, 2y, 2zi


λ∇g = hλ, λ, 2λi
µ∇h = h2µx, 2µy, −µi

Thus the system we need to solve for (x, y, z) is

2x = λ + 2µx (1)
2y = λ + 2µy (2)
2z = 2λ − µ (3)
x + y + 2z = 2 (4)
2 2
x +y −z = 0 (5)

Subtracting (2) from (1) and factoring gives

2 (x − y) = 2µ (x − y)

so µ = 1 whenever x 6= y. Substituting µ = 1 into (1) gives us λ = 0 and substituting µ = 1 and λ = 0


into (3) gives us 2z = −1 and thus z = − 21 . Subtituting z = − 12 into (4) and (5) gives us

x+y−3 = 0
1
x2 + y 2 + = 0
2
1
however, x2 + y 2 + 2 = 0 has no solution. Thus we must have x = y.
Math 280, Intermediate Calculus, 14-8 Lagrange Multipliers

Since we now know x = y, (4) and (5) become

2x + 2z = 2
2
2x − z = 0

so

z = 1−x
z = 2x2

Combining these together gives us 2x2 = 1 − x, so 2x2 + x − 1 = 0 which has solutions x = 21 and
x = −1.
Further substitution yeilds the critical points 12 , 12 , 12 and (−1, −1, 2). Substituting these into our


objective function gives us


 
1 1 1 3
f , , =
2 2 2 4
f (−1, −1, 2) = 6


3 1 1 1
 √
Thus minimum distance of 2 occurs at 2, 2, 2 and the maximum distance of 6 occurs at (−1, −1, 2).

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