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Lecture

Extrema of Functions in Several Variables

In course

MATH-106(f): Analysis II

Étudier les concepts fondamentaux d'analyse et le calcul différentiel et intégral des fonctions réelles de plusieurs variables. ...

Description

This lecture covers the concept of extrema of functions in several variables, defining stationary points and saddle points. It explains the conditions for identifying extrema and the nature of stationary points. The lecture also delves into the Hessian matrix and its role in determining the nature of stationary points, providing examples and practical applications.

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Instructors (3)

Boris Buffoni

David Valentin Strütt

Adélie Eliane Garin

Official source

Ontological neighbourhood

Mathematics

Analysis: Calculus

Related concepts (32)

Stationary point

In mathematics, particularly in calculus, a stationary point of a differentiable function of one variable is a point on the graph of the function where the function's derivative is zero. Informally, it is a point where the function "stops" increasing or decreasing (hence the name). For a differentiable function of several real variables, a stationary point is a point on the surface of the graph where all its partial derivatives are zero (equivalently, the gradient is zero).

Fermat's theorem (stationary points)

In mathematics, Fermat's theorem (also known as interior extremum theorem) is a method to find local maxima and minima of differentiable functions on open sets by showing that every local extremum of the function is a stationary point (the function's derivative is zero at that point). Fermat's theorem is a theorem in real analysis, named after Pierre de Fermat. By using Fermat's theorem, the potential extrema of a function , with derivative , are found by solving an equation in .

Inflection point

In differential calculus and differential geometry, an inflection point, point of inflection, flex, or inflection (rarely inflexion) is a point on a smooth plane curve at which the curvature changes sign. In particular, in the case of the graph of a function, it is a point where the function changes from being concave (concave downward) to convex (concave upward), or vice versa.

Maximum and minimum

In mathematical analysis, the maximum and minimum of a function are, respectively, the largest and smallest value taken by the function. Known generically as extremum, they may be defined either within a given range (the local or relative extrema) or on the entire domain (the global or absolute extrema) of a function. Pierre de Fermat was one of the first mathematicians to propose a general technique, adequality, for finding the maxima and minima of functions.

Saddle point

In mathematics, a saddle point or minimax point is a point on the surface of the graph of a function where the slopes (derivatives) in orthogonal directions are all zero (a critical point), but which is not a local extremum of the function. An example of a saddle point is when there is a critical point with a relative minimum along one axial direction (between peaks) and at a relative maximum along the crossing axis. However, a saddle point need not be in this form.

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