document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=253264>Question 253264</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> What is the optimal value of this function: y=0.5x^2+2x+3 </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #185539 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=jim_thompson5910><B>jim_thompson5910(35256)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=jim_thompson5910><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/nopicture.jpg><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=185539\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> I'm assuming that when you say 'optimal', you mean smallest (as in say the lowest cost).\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Take note that <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=y=0.5x%5E2%2B2x%2B3 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"y=0.5x%5E2%2B2x%2B3\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > is equivalent to <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=y=%281%2F2%29x%5E2%2B2x%2B3 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"y=%281%2F2%29x%5E2%2B2x%2B3\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > since <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=1%2F2=0.5 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"1%2F2=0.5\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "To find the optimal value, we need to find the vertex.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "In order to find the vertex, we first need to find the x-coordinate of the vertex.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "To find the x-coordinate of the vertex, use this formula: <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x=%28-b%29%2F%282a%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x=%28-b%29%2F%282a%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x=%28-b%29%2F%282a%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x=%28-b%29%2F%282a%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Start with the given formula.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "From <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=y=%281%2F2%29x%5E2%2B2x%2B3 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"y=%281%2F2%29x%5E2%2B2x%2B3\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >, we can see that <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=a=1%2F2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"a=1%2F2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >, <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=b=2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"b=2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >, and <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=c=3 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"c=3\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x=%28-%282%29%29%2F%282%281%2F2%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x=%28-%282%29%29%2F%282%281%2F2%29%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Plug in <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=a=1%2F2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"a=1%2F2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > and <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=b=2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"b=2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x=%28-2%29%2F%281%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x=%28-2%29%2F%281%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Multiply 2 and <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=1%2F2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"1%2F2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > to get <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=1 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"1\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x=-2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x=-2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Divide.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "So the x-coordinate of the vertex is <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x=-2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x=-2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >. Note: this means that the axis of symmetry is also <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x=-2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x=-2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Now that we know the x-coordinate of the vertex, we can use it to find the y-coordinate of the vertex.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=y=%281%2F2%29x%5E2%2B2x%2B3 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"y=%281%2F2%29x%5E2%2B2x%2B3\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Start with the given equation.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=y=%281%2F2%29%28-2%29%5E2%2B2%28-2%29%2B3 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"y=%281%2F2%29%28-2%29%5E2%2B2%28-2%29%2B3\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Plug in <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x=-2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x=-2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=y=%281%2F2%29%284%29%2B2%28-2%29%2B3 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"y=%281%2F2%29%284%29%2B2%28-2%29%2B3\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Square <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=-2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"-2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > to get <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=4 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"4\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=y=2%2B2%28-2%29%2B3 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"y=2%2B2%28-2%29%2B3\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Multiply <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=1%2F2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"1%2F2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > and <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=4 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"4\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > to get <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=y=2-4%2B3 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"y=2-4%2B3\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Multiply <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > and <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=-2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"-2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > to get <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=-4 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"-4\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=y=1 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"y=1\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Combine like terms.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "So the y-coordinate of the vertex is <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=y=1 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"y=1\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "So the vertex is <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=\"/cgi-bin/rendertex.cgi?\LARGE \left(-2,1\right)\">.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Since the max/min occurs at the vertex as the 'y' value, this means that the min is <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=y=1 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"y=1\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >. So the optimal value is is <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=y=1 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"y=1\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Here's a graph to visually confirm the answer:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+drawing%28500%2C+500%2C+-10%2C+10%2C+-10%2C+10%2C%0D%0A+graph%28+500%2C+500%2C+-10%2C+10%2C+-10%2C+10%2C0.5x%5E2%2B2x%2B3%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Graph of <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=y=0.5x%5E2%2B2x%2B3 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"y=0.5x%5E2%2B2x%2B3\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > </SPAN>\n" );
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