Really with word problem - maximizing area

  • Thread starter Thread starter csc2iffy
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Area Word problem
csc2iffy
Messages
74
Reaction score
0
Homework Statement
We have to solve this problem using only what we learned in calculus (no linear programming)
I attached a picture to help :)

A farmer wants to build a rectangular pen. He has a barn wall 40 feet long, some or all of which must be used for all or part of one side of the pen. In other words, with f feet of of fencing material, he can build a pen with a perimeter of up to f+40 feet, and remember he isn't required to use all 40 feet.
What is the maximum possible area for the pen if 100 feet of fencing is available?


The attempt at a solution
I attempted to solve by finding the critical points of the derivative:
2x+y=100 --> y=100-2x
x(100-2x)=100x-2x^2
f'(x)=100-4x
100-4x=0 --> x=25
2(25)+y=100 --> y=50
A=1250

BUT I realize this is wrong because if y=50, then the side of the barn needs an extra 10 feet, but all of the fencing material has been used by the other 3 sides. Help please? (p.s. I know the answer is 30 by 40, I figured it out using LP but was told I'm not allowed to do it this way)
 
Physics news on Phys.org
here is the picture
 
There are two things I don't understand about this problem. First, when finding the nth root of a number, there should in theory be n solutions. However, the formula produces n+1 roots. Here is how. The first root is simply ##\left(r\right)^{\left(\frac{1}{n}\right)}##. Then you multiply this first root by n additional expressions given by the formula, as you go through k=0,1,...n-1. So you end up with n+1 roots, which cannot be correct. Let me illustrate what I mean. For this...
Back
Top