Since \(\nabla f=(2,3)\) never vanishes, there are no interior critical points; the maximum lies on the boundary. Because \(f\) increases in both \(x\) and \(y\), it occurs at the corner \((1,2)\): \(f=2+6=8\).
The absolute extrema of a function \(f\) on a closed, bounded region \(D\) are the minimum \(m\) and the maximum \(M\) of the values \(f\) takes on \(D\).
\[m=\min_{D} f,\qquad M=\max_{D} f\]
More practice problems: absolute extrema on a region