As the title suggests, this is looking for the most “optimal” solution using derivatives. Otherwise, the needed maximum or minimum. The steps to solve problems involving optimization are:
1. Expressing the quantity needed to be optimized as a variable of only ONE unknown quantity
2. Finding the absolute maximum or minimum of the function by comparing it to its end points and extrema
Here are some videos with common Optimization problems:
Optimization Problems (cr: OCT)
How to Solve ANY Optimization Problem (cr: STEM support)