What is the smallest distance between the origin and a point on the graph of y=1√2(x2−8)?
What is the smallest distance between the origin and a point on the graph below.
I can see that the graph is a concave up parabola'
So I know a smallest distance exists, there will be no maximum distance.
y=1√2(x2−8)(x,1√2(x2−8)) is a general point on this graphI need the distance of this point from (0,0)d2=x2+[1√2(x2−8)]2d2=x2+12(x2−8)2
d will be minimum when d^2 is minimum. So to avoid confusion I will let v=d^2
v=x2+12(x2−8)2
dvdx=2x+(x2−8)∗2xdvdx=2x(1+x2−8)dvdx=2x(x2−7)dvdx=0whenx=0orx=±√7
When x=0 v=32
When x= +/-sqrt7 v=7+0.5=7.5
Clearly the min is when v=7.5
So the minimum distance is √7.5
LaTex
y=\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{2}}\left(x^2-8\right)\\
\left ( x,\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{2}}\left(x^2-8\right)\right) \text{ is a general point on this graph}\\
\text{I need the distance of this point from (0,0)}\\
d^2=x^2+[\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}\left(x^2-8\right)]^2\\
d^2=x^2+\frac{1}{2}\left(x^2-8\right)^2\\
v=x^2+\frac{1}{2}\left(x^2-8\right)^2\\