Optimisation problems (1 Viewer)

Anyone know how to get better at optimisation problems for 2u maths or how to approach difficult ones

1. Practise practise
2. Get used to translating the 2 parameters they give you (eg area and perimeter) into equations
3. Know how to do simultaneous equations quickly
4. Get fast at finding stationary points (eg you might be able to shortcut stationary point on parabolas using x=-b/2a instead of differentiating)

C2H6O said:

Get fast at finding stationary points (eg you might be able to shortcut stationary point on parabolas using x=-b/2a instead of differentiating)

Click to expand...

It’s very quick to derive that x=-b/2a is a stationary point by differentiating f(x) = ax^2 +bx +c and setting f’(x) = 2ax +b equal to zero, so I’m not sure how useful it is to specifically memorise this instead of just the general mechanism of differentiating the equation and setting the first derivative to equal zero.

Memorising a lot of special cases can get individuals unstuck under exam pressure - I’d advise to keep it simple and above all, understand the underlying principles of functions and operations (then you can remember it forty years later when your high school peers who also scored well in 4U maths can barely do Yr 9 maths).

Yeah tbh i think my main issue is the algebra