24  Optimization

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Reading questions

Reading question 24.1 In the example about the tennis ball launched from a slingshot, the initial velocity of the ball \(v_0\) is stated in cm/sec. Convert \(v_0\) to miles per hour and give your opinion about whether this is a plausible speed for a tennis ball. For instance, how does it compare to a tennis serve.

question id: tennis-ball-launch

Speaking of seving in tennis … In a tennis game, the server needs the ball to land within the service court. This ends 18.3 meters from the baseline (where the server stands). To judge by the objective function in the example, what angle from the horizontal should the server aim for?

question id: tennis-ball-launch2

Reading question 24.2 In the example of the parabola (“Where’s the critical point?”), the position of the argmax depends on the a_1 and a_2 coefficients of the polynomial, but not on a_0. Is this fair? Explain in everyday terms why a_0 doesn’t enter in to the formula for the argmax.

question id: a1-a2-coef

24-reading.rmarkdown

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