- #1
sickle
- 12
- 0
I am having trouble conceptualizing a calculus optimization problem.
I can find the answer to the problem by using the procedure but i am quite uncertain of how the equations match up with what's actually going on in the situation!
Problem: What is the max length of widthless rigid pole that can be carried around a corner of two corridors of width a and b meeting at a right angle?
The solution is identical to finding the shortest length of a ladder from the ground to a wall if there's a block in front and blocking the wall.
This 2nd Q. makes sense because we are minimizing the length of the ladder and indeed the math spits out a local min value.
Now why is it that the conditions to finding the longest length is identical to find the shortest ladder??
I can find the answer to the problem by using the procedure but i am quite uncertain of how the equations match up with what's actually going on in the situation!
Problem: What is the max length of widthless rigid pole that can be carried around a corner of two corridors of width a and b meeting at a right angle?
The solution is identical to finding the shortest length of a ladder from the ground to a wall if there's a block in front and blocking the wall.
This 2nd Q. makes sense because we are minimizing the length of the ladder and indeed the math spits out a local min value.
Now why is it that the conditions to finding the longest length is identical to find the shortest ladder??