[Math] Find the point on the ellipse where the cylinder intersects the plane furthest from the origin

lagrange multiplierlinear algebramultivariable-calculusoptimization

I'm confused about how I should set this problem up. It is a lagrange problem.

The cylinder x^2 + y^2 = 1 intersects the plane x + z = 1 in an ellipse. Find the point on the ellipse furthest from the origin.

$f(x) = x^2 + y^2 + z^2$

$h(x) = x^2 + y^2 = 1$

$g(x) = x + z = 1$

Then I do something like

$\langle 2x, 2y, 2z \rangle = \lambda\langle2x, 2y,0\rangle + \mu\langle1,0,1\rangle$

This results in the equations:

$2x = 2x\lambda + \mu$

$2y = 2y\lambda$

$2z = \mu$

Then I try to do something like $\lambda = 1$, then $2x = 2x + \mu$, then $0 = \mu$, so then $z = 0$.

Then $x + z = 1$, so $x = 1$.

And then $1^2 + y^2 = 1$, so $y = 0$, so then I conclude that the point where this ellipse is furthest from the origin is $(1,0,0)$.

This is wrong. The answer should be $(-1,0,2)$

Best Answer

You have 5 equations and 5 unknowns and you have to find all solutions to the system. Some solutions will correspond to local maxima, other to local minima, and the remaining ones to local inflection points. Then, among the solutions that you found, you have to evaluate f(x) and see which one has highest value (or use a Hessian test which is not necessary here).

In the very first step of solving the system, you assumed that $y\ne0$ and so you ended up dropping that solution. If you considered the $y=0$ case separately, you would have recovered that solution.