Past exam of the year 1 of the computer science course of the University of Oxford / 2022 / Discrete mathematics, continuous mathematics, and probability / Continuous mathematics / 6 / c / Solution

For the equality-constrained minimization problem, $y=8/x$ and $x\ne 0$. Put $t=x^2>0$. The restricted objective isThe only zero has $t^3=64$, so $t=4$. Since $F^{\prime \prime }(t)=2+256/t^3>0$, the second-derivative criterion for convexity proves a unique minimizing $t$. Consequently the equality constraint has minimizers $(2,4)$ and $(-2,-4)$, with minimum $20$.

For the inequality-constrained minimization problem, the identity $f=(x^2-1{)}^2+2(y-x{)}^2+3$ supplies the universal lower bound $3$. Both equality points for that bound, $(1,1)$ and $(-1,-1)$, satisfy $xy=1\le 8$. Hence the inequality constraint has exactly these two minimizers, with minimum $3$.