View source for Extremum

A maximum or minimum value of a real-valued function. (Cf. [[Maximum and minimum points|Maximum and minimum points]].) In the calculus of variations the term  "extremum"  is also used in the study of greatest or smallest values of a functional.



====Comments====
Cf. also [[Maximum and minimum of a function|Maximum and minimum of a function]].

In [[Variational calculus|variational calculus]] the term [[Extremal|extremal]] for a curve on which a function(al) attains its maximum (or minimum) values is often used.