Exercise · ZW-LAGRANGE-MULTIPLIERS-008 · ★★☆ Intermediate

Find the minimum value of \(f(x,y,z)=x^2+y^2+z^2\) on the plane \(x+y+z=3\).

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  • D. 3

Explanation

The equations \(2x=2y=2z=\lambda\) give \(x=y=z\); with the constraint, \(x=y=z=1\) and \(f=3\).

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Review the concept: Lagrange multipliers

The method of Lagrange multipliers finds the extrema of a function \(f\) on the curve \(g=k\) among the points where the gradient of \(f\) is a multiple \(\lambda\) of the gradient of \(g\).

\[\nabla f=\lambda\,\nabla g,\qquad g=k\]

More practice problems: lagrange multipliers

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