This week we did optimization. It was pretty simple. I’ve discovered that drawing a diagram really helps but I would do that a lot anyway. Before we started discussing this topic, my dad and I talked about it a little. We talked about how this is used to fine the best dimensions for a soda can. I like this topic because it actually applies to the real world. I can actually see a reason to learn this and that makes me happy. Optimization is pretty easy. All you have to do is find a model for the situation (usually this is two equations) and then find the derivative of that. You have to solve one of the equations for a variable so that you can put that in the other equation so that you can find the derivative. That can be kind of annoying but it is usually pretty easy. After you find the derivative, all you have to do is find the zeros of that. Then you find the value of the other variable and boom, done. Sometimes you get two answers for the zeros but usually one makes absolutely no sense in the context of the problem. I mean I highly doubt that there’s going to be a box with a length of 0. That just wouldn’t happen. Anyway, yeah optimization makes sense to me so that’s nice.