Cambridge O Level Additional Mathematics · Syllabus 4037 · Calculus
Optimisation
What is Optimisation?
The use of differentiation to find the greatest or least value a quantity can take in a practical situation. The quantity to be optimised is first expressed as a function of a single variable, using a constraint from the problem to eliminate any other variables, and the interval of values that variable may legitimately take is stated. The derivative is then set to zero to find candidate values, each candidate is classified or compared, and the endpoints of the interval are examined because the greatest value of a function on a closed interval can occur at an endpoint rather than at a stationary point. The final answer is the quantity the question asked for, given with its units.
This definition is part of the Calculus chapter in Cambridge O Level Additional Mathematics.