Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-year-1-of-the-natural-sciences-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2009/paper-1/11/c/ii/solution

At fixed , the derivative is . It is positive for and negative for . The endpoint volumes are zero. Thus the unique positive-volume global maximum is at
Its value is , whereas the cone volume is . Hence
This is the volume case of the optimal cylinder inscribed in a cone.

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