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Concept · from MIT 18.01SC Single Variable Calculus

Optimization Problems

About these materials

MIT's own material for this topic, in MIT's order: Session 29: Optimization Problems; Session 30: Optimization Problems II.

Source: MIT OpenCourseWare 18.01SC Single Variable Calculus, Fall 2010, Prof. David Jerison — original course page on ocw.mit.edu ↗. License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Order: the items appear in the order MIT's own session page lists them; the sessions follow MIT's sequence. Taken from MIT's published course files, downloaded from ocw.mit.edu on September 22, 2026. How RedLectern is built.

Session 29: Optimization Problems

MIT 18.01SC · 2. Applications of Differentiation · Part B: Optimization, Related Rates and Newton's Method · This session on MIT OpenCourseWare ↗

Lecture Video and Notes · Video Excerpts

  1. Clip 1: Maxima and Minima Using GraphsLecture clip · 44:19–51:44 · 7:25 long · transcript Watch Notes (PDF) ↗
  2. Clip 2: Maximum Area of Two SquaresLecture clip · 0:20–18:48 · 18:28 long · transcript Watch Notes (PDF) ↗

Recitation Video

  1. Closest Point to the OriginProblem-solving video · transcript Watch
  2. Minimum Triangle AreaProblem-solving video · transcript Watch

Session 30: Optimization Problems II

This session on MIT OpenCourseWare ↗

Lecture Video and Notes · Video Excerpts

  1. Clip 1: Minimal Surface Area of a Box: Direct SolutionLecture clip · 18:48–39:43 · 20:55 long · transcript Watch Notes (PDF) ↗
  2. Clip 2: Minimal Surface Area of a Box: Implicit DifferentiationLecture clip · 39:43–44:53 · 5:10 long · transcript Watch Notes (PDF) ↗

Recitation Video

  1. Maximum Surface AreaProblem-solving video · transcript Watch

Worked Example

MIT's problem set

Problem Set 4

MIT places Problem Set 4 at the end of Part B: Optimization, Related Rates and Newton's Method; it covers the whole part, not only this topic. Problem Set 4 on MIT OpenCourseWare ↗

Where this sits in MIT 18.01SC

Open this session in the full course 18.01SC Single Variable Calculus: all units →

MIT OpenCourseWare, Prof. David Jerison, 18.01SC Single Variable Calculus, Fall 2010.

License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · Edition: Fall 2010 · Open the original course on OCW ↗

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