My Math Forum Can you help me find the number of automobiles that must be produced to minimize cost

 Algebra Pre-Algebra and Basic Algebra Math Forum

 December 12th, 2014, 07:12 PM #1 Newbie   Joined: Dec 2014 From: San Diego Posts: 1 Thanks: 0 Can you help me find the number of automobiles that must be produced to minimize cost O.K. so my math teacher says this is going to be on the final but we never did this so I don't know how to solve it: The cost in millions of dollars for a company to manufacture x thousand automobiles is given by the function C(x)=4x^2-32x+128. Find the automobiles that must be produced to minimize the cost. The answer is 4(thousand) but I don't know what to do to get that answer. Does anyone know?
 December 12th, 2014, 07:55 PM #2 Global Moderator     Joined: Nov 2006 From: UTC -5 Posts: 16,046 Thanks: 938 Math Focus: Number theory, computational mathematics, combinatorics, FOM, symbolic logic, TCS, algorithms To minimize a function, take the derivative and set it equal to zero. That, or one of the endpoints, should give the location of the minimum.
 December 12th, 2014, 08:42 PM #3 Math Team   Joined: Dec 2013 From: Colombia Posts: 7,685 Thanks: 2665 Math Focus: Mainly analysis and algebra \begin{align*}C(x)&=4x^2-32x+128 \\ &= 4(x^2 - 8x + 32) \\ &= 4\left((x-8x+16)+16\right) \\ &= 4\left((x-4)^2+16\right) \end{align*} And now we see that the minimum value of $(x-4)^2$ is zero - attained when $x = 4$. So the minimum value of $C(x)$ must be $4 \times 16 = 64$, attained when $x = 4$. This is called 'completing the square' or putting the equation into 'vertex form'. Last edited by v8archie; December 12th, 2014 at 08:47 PM.
 December 13th, 2014, 03:31 PM #4 Member   Joined: Sep 2014 From: Kansas Posts: 34 Thanks: 1 Wow I must've actually learned something this semester I knew how to solve that. LOL.

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