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Lesson 8b Tangent Plane and Normal Vector To Level Surface Abd Lagrange Multiplier

This document discusses tangent planes and normal vectors to level surfaces, and introduces the method of Lagrange multipliers to find extrema of functions subject to constraints. [1] It provides examples of using Lagrange multipliers to find the maximum/minimum of a function on a curve or surface, [2] including the dimensions of a box requiring minimum material while having a given volume. [3] The key steps are setting up the constraint equations and finding critical points where the gradients are parallel.

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angelo berina
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69 views

Lesson 8b Tangent Plane and Normal Vector To Level Surface Abd Lagrange Multiplier

This document discusses tangent planes and normal vectors to level surfaces, and introduces the method of Lagrange multipliers to find extrema of functions subject to constraints. [1] It provides examples of using Lagrange multipliers to find the maximum/minimum of a function on a curve or surface, [2] including the dimensions of a box requiring minimum material while having a given volume. [3] The key steps are setting up the constraint equations and finding critical points where the gradients are parallel.

Uploaded by

angelo berina
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Lesson 8b

TANGENT PLANE AND NORMAL


VECTOR TO LEVEL SURFACE
AND LAGRANGE MULTIPLIER
TANGENT PLANES AND NORMAL VECTORS TO LEVEL
SURFACE
EQUATION OF PLANE TANGENT AND NORMAL LINE
TO A SURFACE
EXAMPLE

1. Consider the ellipsoid

Find an equation of the tangent plane to the ellipsoid at the point


Solution:
EXAMPLE

1. Consider the ellipsoid

Find an equation of the tangent plane to the ellipsoid at the point


Solution:
and , since
we have

Hence the equation of the plane is


EXAMPLE

2. Consider the ellipsoid

Find parametric equations of the line that is normal to the


ellipsoid at the point .

Solution:
, ,
EXAMPLE

2. Consider the ellipsoid

Find parametric equations of the line that is normal to the


ellipsoid at the point .

Solution:

Since at the point , it follows that the parametric equations for


the normal line to the ellipsoid at the point are

, ,
EXAMPLE

3. Consider the ellipsoid

Find the acute angle that the tangent plane at the point makes
with the
Solution:
EXAMPLE

3. Consider the ellipsoid

Find the acute angle that the tangent plane at the point makes
with the
Solution:
To find the acute angle between the tangent plane and the , we
have .
This yields

,
LAGRANGE MULTIPLIER

The Method of Lagrange Multipliers is a useful way to determine the


minimum or maximum of a surface subject to a constraint. It is
an alternative to the method of substitution and works particularly
well for non-linear constraints.

THEOREM: Constrained-Extremum Principles for Two Variables and one


Constraint

Let f and g be functions of two variables and continuous first


partial derivatives on some open set containing the constraint
curve g(x, y)=0, and assume that at any point on this
curve. If f has a constrained relative extremum, then this
extremum occurs at a point on the constraint curves at
which the gradient vectors and are parallel;
that is, there is some number such that

=
EXAMPLE

1. At what point or points on the circle does have an absolute maximum, and what is
that maximum?

Solution:
EXAMPLE

1. At what point or points on the circle does have an absolute maximum, and what is
that maximum?

Solution:
The circle is closed and bounded set and is continuous function so has an
absolute maximum and an absolute minimum on the circle. To find this extrema we will
use Lagrange multipliers to find the constraint relative extrema, and then we will
evaluate at those relative extrema to find the absolute extrema.
We want to maximize subject to the constraint
CON’T

substitute to:
2

Thus the constrained relative extrema occur at the points


, , thus the function

has an absolute maximum of occurring at the two points and

has an absolute minimum of occurring at the two points and


EXAMPLE

2. Use Lagrange multipliers to find the maximum and minimum values of subject to the
given constraint. Also find the points at which these extreme values occur.
EXAMPLE

2. Use Lagrange multipliers to find the maximum and minimum values of subject to the
given constraint. Also find the points at which these extreme values occur.

Substitute to:
substitute to:
con’t

Points are at: , , ,

maximum at ,
minimum at ,
THREE VARIABLES AND ONE CONSTRAINTS

The method of Lagrange multipliers can also be used to maximize or


minimize a function of three variables subject to the constraint

Theorem: Constrained-Extremum Principles for Three-Variables and


One Constraint.

Let f and g be a functions of three variables with continuous first


partial derivatives on some open set containing the constraint surface
g (x,y,z) = 0 and assume that at any point on this surface. If
f has a constrained relative extremum, then this extremum occurs at
a point on the constraint s urface at which the gradient vectors and
are parallel; that is, there is some number such that
EXAMPLE

Use Lagrange multipliers to find the maximum and minimum values of subject to
the given constraint. Also find the point at which those extreme values occur.
1.

Solution:
EXAMPLE

Use Lagrange multipliers to find the maximum and minimum values of subject to
the given constraint. Also find the point at which those extreme values occur.
1.

Solution:

Substitute to
;
EXAMPLE

2. Use Lagrange multipliers to determine the dimensions of a


rectangular box, open at the top having a volume 32 and requiring
the least amount of material for the construction.

Solution:
EXAMPLE

2. Use Lagrange multipliers to determine the dimensions of a


rectangular box, open at the top having a volume 32 and requiring
the least amount of material for the construction.

Solution:

Let and

It follows that at any point on the surface since are all non zero on this
surface. Thus at a constrained relative extremum we must have
con’t

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