• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.65-84
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• 2023

The method of Lagrange multipliers, one of the most fundamental algorithms for solving equality constrained optimization problems, has been widely used in basic mathematics for artificial intelligence (AI), linear algebra, optimization theory, and control theory. This method is an important tool that connects calculus and linear algebra. It is actively used in artificial intelligence algorithms including principal component analysis (PCA). Therefore, it is desired that instructors motivate students who first encounter this method in college calculus. In this paper, we provide an integrated perspective for instructors to teach the method of Lagrange multipliers effectively. First, we provide visualization materials and Python-based code, helping to understand the principle of this method. Second, we give a full explanation on the relation between Lagrange multiplier and eigenvalues of a matrix. Third, we give the proof of the first-order optimality condition, which is a fundamental of the method of Lagrange multipliers, and briefly introduce the generalized version of it in optimization. Finally, we give an example of PCA analysis on a real data. These materials can be utilized in class for teaching of the method of Lagrange multipliers.