Paper 3, Section I, D

Variational Principles | Part IB, 2011

Find, using a Lagrange multiplier, the four stationary points in R3\mathbb{R}^{3} of the function x2+y2+z2x^{2}+y^{2}+z^{2} subject to the constraint x2+2y2z2=1x^{2}+2 y^{2}-z^{2}=1. By considering the situation geometrically, or otherwise, identify the nature of the constrained stationary points.

How would your answers differ if, instead, the stationary points of the function x2+2y2z2x^{2}+2 y^{2}-z^{2} were calculated subject to the constraint x2+y2+z2=1?x^{2}+y^{2}+z^{2}=1 ?

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