Q.A farmer plans to fence a rectangular pasture adjacent to a river. The pasture must contain 1,80,000 sq.mtrs in order to provide enough grass for herds. No fencing is needed along the river. What is the length of the minimum needed fencing material?
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Absolute (global) extrema. For f defined on a domain D, f(x0) is the absolute maximum of f on D if f(x0)≥f(x) for every x∈D; the absolute minimum is defined symmetrically with ≤.
Extreme Value Theorem. If f is continuous on a closed interval [a,b], then f attains both an absolute maximum and an absolute minimum somewhere on [a,b] — and the extremum can only occur either at an interior critical number or at one of the two endpoints.
Procedure for absolute extrema on [a,b] (Exercise 7.6 Q1's method):
- Find every critical number of f in the open interval (a,b).
- Evaluate f at each critical number and at both endpoints a,b.
- The largest of these values is the absolute maximum; the smallest is the absolute minimum.
Relative (local) extrema. f has a relative (local) maximum at x0 if f(x0) is the largest value of f on some open interval around x0 (relative minimum: smallest, on some open interval). A function may have several local extrema, and a local extremum need not be the absolute one.
Fermat's Theorem. If f has a relative extremum at x=c, then c must be a critical number of f (so the search for local extrema always starts by solving f′(x)=0 together with any points where f′ fails to exist) — though not every critical number is automatically an extremum (e.g. y=x3 at x=0).
First Derivative Test. At a critical point c where f is continuous, examine the sign of f′(x) moving left to right across c:
- negative → positive: local minimum at c;
- positive → negative: local maximum at c;
- no sign change (same sign on both sides): c is neither a local max nor a local min.
Second Derivative Test (an alternative, often quicker, at a stationary point). If f′(c)=0 and f′′(c) exists:
- f′′(c)<0 ⇒ local maximum at c;
- f′′(c)>0 ⇒ local minimum at c; …
Only three sides need fencing (two perpendicular to the river, one parallel); use the area constraint to reduce fence length to one variable, then minimize.
Step 1. Set up. Let x = length of each side perpendicular to the river, y = length of the side parallel to the river (no fence needed on the fourth, river-adjacent side). Constraint: xy=180000⇒y=x180000.
F(x)=2x+y=2x+x180000.
Step 2. Differentiate and solve F′(x)=0.
F′(x)=2−x2180000=0 ⇒ x2=90000 ⇒ x=300 (x>0). …
Only 3 sides fenced (river side excluded); reduce via the are …
Showing the 12 most recent of 14 on this concept.
- CBSE 2026Set V11 markMCQQ.The minimum value of f(x)=x, x∈R(a) 0(b) 1(c) 2(d) does not exist
›Reveal solutionSolution
On all of R the identity function is unbounded below, so no minimum value exists; answer (d).
For f(x)=x with x∈R, as x→−∞ we have f(x)→−∞. The function takes arbitrarily small (large-negative) values, so it is not bounded below an …
- CBSE 2026Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.One of the closest points on the curve x2−y2=4 to the point (6,0) is :(a) (3,5)(b) (2,0)(c) (13,−3)(d) (5,1)
›Reveal solutionSolution
Substitutes the curve's constraint into the squared-distance function and minimizes over x using calculus.
- A point on the curve x2−y2=4 satisfies y2=x2−4 (needs x2≥4).
- Squared distance from (x,y) to (6,0): D2=(x−6)2+y2=(x−6)2+(x2−4).
- Expand: D2=x2−12x+36+x2−4=2x2−12x+32.
- Differentiate w.r.t. x and set to zero: dxd(D2)=4x−12=0⇒x=3. …
- CBSE 2026Set ANNUAL1 markQ.If f(x)=x⋅logx then its minimum value is ______.
›Reveal solutionSolution
f′(x)=logx+1=0 gives x=e1; f′′>0 confirms a minimum, and f(e1)=−e1.
Differentiate f(x)=xlogx using the product rule:
f′(x)=1⋅logx+x⋅x1=logx+1.
Set f′(x)=0 for the critical point:
logx+1=0⇒logx=−1⇒x=e−1=e1.
Check the nature with the second derivative:
f′′(x)=x1,f′′(e1)=e>0,
…
- CBSE 2025Set X11 markMCQQ.The absolute maximum value of the function f given by f(x)=x3, x∈[−2,2] is(a) 2(b) 0(c) −2(d) 8
›Reveal solutionSolution
Absolute extremum of a monotonic function on a closed interval — correct option (d).
Since f′(x)=3x2≥0, the function f(x)=x3 is increasing on [−2,2], so its absolute maximum …
- CBSE 2025Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.A stone is thrown up vertically. The height it reaches at time t seconds is given by x=80t−16t2. The stone reaches the maximum height in time t seconds is given by :(a) 3(b) 2(c) 3.5(d) 2.5
›Reveal solutionSolution
The stone reaches maximum height when its vertical velocity (the derivative of position) is zero; solving that gives t=2.5.
- Height: x(t)=80t−16t2.
- Velocity: v(t)=dtdx=80−32t.
- At maximum height, v=0 (the stone momentarily stops before falling back): 80−32t=0. …
- CBSE 2024Set A11 markMCQQ.The maximum value of the function f(x)=x, x∈(1,2) is(a) 1(b) do not have maximum value(c) 3(d) 2
›Reveal solutionSolution
f(x)=x is increasing on the open interval (1,2) and its endpoint value is not attained, so there is no maximum — (b). …
- CBSE 2023Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.The maximum value of the function x2e−2x, x>0 is :(a) e21(b) e1(c) e44(d) 2e1
›Reveal solutionSolution
Setting the derivative of x2e−2x to zero locates the critical point x=1, which gives the maximum value 1/e2.
- f(x)=x2e−2x. By the product rule, f′(x)=2xe−2x+x2(−2e−2x)=2xe−2x(1−x).
- Setting f′(x)=0 for x>0: since 2xe−2x=0 when x>0, we need 1−x=0⇒x=1. …
- CBSE 2023Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.Area of the greatest rectangle inscribed in the ellipse a2x2+b2y2=1 is :(a) ab(b) 2ab(c) ba(d) ab
›Reveal solutionSolution
Parametrising the inscribed rectangle's corner on the ellipse and maximising the resulting area 2absin2θ gives the greatest area 2ab.
- Let one vertex of the inscribed rectangle be (acosθ,bsinθ) on the ellipse, 0<θ<π/2. By symmetry the rectangle has vertices (±acosθ,±bsinθ). …
- CBSE 2022Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.The minimum value of the function ∣3−x∣+9 is :(a) 6(b) 0(c) 9(d) 3
›Reveal solutionSolution
The absolute value ∣3−x∣ has minimum 0 (at x=3), so ∣3−x∣+9 has minimum value 9.
- Let g(x)=∣3−x∣+9.
- For any real x, ∣3−x∣≥0, with the least possible value 0 occurring exactly when 3−x=0, i.e. x=3.
- Since 9 is a constant added to ∣3−x∣, g(x) is minimized exactly when ∣3−x∣ is minimized. …
- CBSE 2020Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.The least possible perimeter (in meter) of a rectangle of area 100 m2 is :(a) 50(b) 10(c) 20(d) 40
›Reveal solutionSolution
For fixed area, the perimeter of a rectangle is minimized when it is a square; with area 100 the side is 10 and the least perimeter is 40.
- Let the sides of the rectangle be x and y, with area xy=100, so y=x100.
- The perimeter is P(x)=2(x+y)=2(x+x100), for x>0.
- To minimize, differentiate: P′(x)=2(1−x2100).
- Set P′(x)=0: 1−x2100=0⇒x2=100⇒x=10 (taking the positive root, since x is a length). …
- CBSE 2018Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.The statement : “If f has a local extremum (minimum or maximum) at c and if f′(c) exists then f′(c)=0” is :(a) Law of mean(b) The extreme value theorem(c) Rolle's theorem(d) Fermat's theorem
›Reveal solutionSolution
The stated result — a differentiable local extremum has derivative zero — is the standard statement of Fermat's theorem.
- Fermat's theorem (on stationary points) states: if f has a local maximum or local minimum at an interior point c of its domain, and if f′(c) exists, then f′(c)=0.
- This is exactly the statement given in the question.
- Rolle's theorem is a related but different result: if f(a)=f(b) and f is continuous on [a,b], differentiable on (a,b), then there exists some c∈(a,b) with f′(c)=0 — it is about the existence of such a point between equal endpoint values, not a general statement about extrema. …
- CBSE 2017Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.If f(x)=x2−4x+5 on [0,3] then the absolute maximum value is :(a) 2(b) 3(c) 4(d) 5
›Reveal solutionSolution
On [0,3], f(x)=x2−4x+5 has its minimum at the interior critical point x=2 and its absolute maximum at the endpoint x=0, giving value 5.
- f′(x)=2x−4=0⇒x=2; since f′′(x)=2>0, x=2 is a local minimum, with f(2)=4−8+5=1.
- Evaluate at the endpoints of [0,3]: f(0)=0−0+5=5; f(3)=9−12+5=2. …
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