Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-year-1-of-the-natural-sciences-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2016/paper-2/19/b/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 1 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge 2016 Paper 2 19 b Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-18
Put and let the fixed constraint value be . For , the Lagrange multiplier equations giveDividing removes and yieldsTo establish a minimum, rather than merely a stationary ratio, set and . Then and . The denominator squared is ; its derivative is , giving a unique maximum at , . The volume tends to infinity at either endpoint. This proves the stated ratio is the unique global minimum, as in the optimal cylinder for a reciprocal-square constraint.
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