Take the following 2 variables:
How do I use Mathcad to find the combination of x and y that minimizes g? Is it possible to do this while keeping a and g separate?
Please try to make a solution easy for a Mathcad newbie to understand
1. How do you insert that colored contour plot?
On the ribbon, choose 'plots', then use the rightmost icon to insert a contour or 3D plot. See examples in the help info.
2. The textbox containing "Minimize(g,x,y)" doesn't seem to do anything. What is its purpose?
That isn't a text box, but an attempt to use the built-in Minimize function to find the minimum of the function, with guess values for x and y each 1. The function produces an error, indicated by the red box, because the minimum is reached for x= minus infinity.
Here's another attempt:
Also fails, but with another function a :
3. Could you generate the colored contour plot while keeping "a" and "g" separate?
How would you like to keep a and g separate?
You could plot two surfaces as a function of x and y, one for a, the other for g (including a), is that what you want?
Success!
Luc
1. Thank you
2. Thank you
3. I figured it out. I wanted to use an equation in another equation and find the combination of 2 variables that would result in a minimum. This would save horizontal page space for very long equations. Something like this is what is exactly what I wanted to do:
Luc already explained why there can't be a solution if x and y are unconstrained.
In case you have additional constraints (like x and y being non-negative), you may use a solve block:
I guess the solution to "keep a and g separate" is to turn both into functions of x and y, right?
