Question
What is the maximum value of the function sin x + cos x?

Answer

Let f(x) = sin x + cos x,
$\Rightarrow$ f'(x) = cos x - sin x
Now, f'(x) = 0
$\Rightarrow$ cos x - sin x = 0
$\Rightarrow$ cos x = sin x
$\Rightarrow$ tan x = 1
$\Rightarrow \mathrm{x}=\frac{\pi}{4}, \frac{5 \pi}{4}, \ldots$
Now,
If f''(x) will be negative when (sin x + cos x) > 0, means both sin x and cos x are positive.
And, we know that sin x and cos x both are positive in the first quadrant.
Then, f''(x) will be negative when $\mathrm{x} \in\left(0, \frac{\pi}{2}\right)$.
f''(x) = -sin x - cos x = -(sin x + cos x)
Now, let us take x = $\frac{\pi}{4}$
$f^{\prime \prime}\left(\frac{\pi}{4}\right)=-\left(\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}+\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}\right)=-\frac{2}{\sqrt{2}}=-\sqrt{2}<0$
Then, by second derivative test,
f will be maximum at $x=\frac{\pi}{4}$
And, the maximum value of f is
$f\left(\frac{\pi}{4}\right)=\sin \frac{\pi}{4}+\cos \frac{\pi}{4}=\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}+\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}=\sqrt{2}$

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