Magnitude of Sum / Sum of Magnitudes

Calculus Level 3

Consider the following quantity:

Q = A + B e j π / 4 A + B \large{Q = \frac{|A + B \, e^{j \, \pi /4}|}{A + B}}

If A A and B B are positive real numbers, what is the minimum possible value of Q Q ? Give your answer as 1000 Q m i n \lfloor 1000 \, Q_{min} \rfloor .

Details and Assumptions:
- j = 1 j = \sqrt{-1}
- | \cdot | denotes the absolute value of a complex number
- \lfloor \cdot \rfloor denotes the floor function


The answer is 923.

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1 solution

Mark Hennings
Feb 24, 2018

Note that Q ( A , B ) = A 2 + A B 2 + B 2 A + B Q(A,B) \; = \; \frac{\sqrt{A^2 + AB\sqrt{2} + B^2}}{A+B} is homogeneous in A . B A.B , so we can restrict our attention to Q 1 ( t ) = Q ( A , t A ) = 1 + t 2 + t 2 1 + t = Q 2 ( 1 t + 1 ) 2 Q_1(t) \; = \; Q(A,tA) \; = \; \frac{\sqrt{1 + t\sqrt{2} + t^2}}{1+t} \; = \; Q_2\big(\tfrac{1}{t+1}\big)^2 where Q 2 ( u ) = 1 ( 2 2 ) u + ( 2 2 ) u 2 Q_2(u) \; = \; 1 - (2-\sqrt{2})u + (2-\sqrt{2})u^2 Simple calculus tells us that Q 2 Q_2 is minimized at u = 1 2 u=\tfrac12 , so that Q 1 Q_1 is minimized at t = 1 t=1 , so that Q Q is minimized when A = B A=B , and so that Q m i n = 2 + 2 2 = 0.9238795325... Q_\mathrm{min} \; = \; \frac{\sqrt{2+\sqrt{2}}}{2} \; = \; 0.9238795325... making the answer 923 \boxed{923} .

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