Maxima and Minima
Maxima and Minima: Overview
This topic covers concepts, such as, Maxima and Minima of a Function, Existence of Maxima and Minima of a Function in an Interval, Maxima & Minima by Higher Order Derivative: Nth Derivative Test etc.
Important Questions on Maxima and Minima
Find the area of the right angled triangle of least area that can be drawn so as to circumscribe a rectangle of sides '' and '', the right angle of the triangle coinciding with one of the angles of the rectangle.

If be a polynomial of degree satisfying and has maximum at and has minima at . Find the distance between the local maximum and local minimum of the curve.

Find a point on the curve whose distance from the line , is minimum.

The plan view of a swimming pool consists of a semicircle of radius attached to a rectangle of length and width . If the surface area of the pool is fixed, for what value of and the perimeter of the pool is minimum.

Suppose f(x) real valued polynomial function of degree 6 satisfying the following conditions;
(a) f has minimum value at x = 0 and 2
(b) f has maximum value at x = 1
(c) For all .
Determine f(x).

Investigate for maxima & minima for the function, ,

A cubic vanishes at & has relative minimum/maximum at .
Find , if coefficient of in

A window has the shape of a rectangle surmounted by an equilateral triangle. If the perimeter of the window is 12 m. find the dimensions of the rectangle that will produce the largest areas of the window.

What would be the radius of the right circular cylinder of greatest curved surface area which can be inscribed in a given cone?

Choose the height of the cone of maximum volume that can be inscribed in a sphere of radius :

An open box with a square base is to be made out of a given quantity of cardboard of area square units. What would be the maximum volume of the box?

What would be the radius of the right circular cylinder of greatest curved surface area which can be inscribed in a given cone?

What would be the point on the curve which is nearest to the point

A window is in the form of a rectangle with length and breadth surmounted by a semi-circle. If the total perimeter of the window is , then the dimensions of the window so that maximum light is admitted would be

An open box, with a square base, is to be made out of a given quantity of metal sheet of area The maximum volume of the box would be:

A sector is removed from a metallic disc and the remaining region is bent into the shape of a circular conical funnel with volume . The least possible diameter of the disc is

The maximum value of is _____

For all values of , the determinant of the matrix always lies in the interval

Let be a real polynomial of degree having extreme values at and If , then is equal to

The maximum value of in the interval , is
