Differentiation Applications:

Curve Sketching

Dr. Moutaz Ramadan

Differentiation Applications: Curve Sketching
+ve the interval is increasing
y' 0 Critical point

-ve the interval is decreasing

y '   ve y '   ve
y' 0

y' 0
y '   ve y '   ve
y' 0
y '   ve y '   ve
Two Critical points y '   ve
y' 0
Differentiation Applications: Curve Sketching
Substituting by Critical points into +ve Local Min.
y''
-ve Local Max.

+ve the interval is concave up

y'' 0 Inflection Point

-ve the interval is concave down

Local Max. Local Max.

concave down concave down

Inflection Point Inflection Point
concave up
Local Min.
 Example:
In the following curve
y  x2  4x  3
Find,
a. The critical point.
b. The intervals in which the curve is increasing and decreasing.
c. The local maximum and minimum points.
d. Sketch the curve.

Solution
+ve increasing
a) Critical points ( y '  0 )
y' 2 x  4  0 y' 0 Critical point

2x  4  x  2 -ve decreasing
 y  (2) 2  4(2)  3  1
 Critical point ( 2 ,  1)
The Critical point ( 2 ,  1)
b. The intervals
  , 2 2 ,  
2 x

x 1 3
2 2
y' 2 x  4
-ve (dec.) +ve (inc.)

decreasing interval   , 2
Increasing interval 2 ,  
Local Min. ( 2 ,  1)
y  x2  4x  3

Critical point
x 0 1 2 4
y 3 0 -1 3
 d. Sketch the curve. y y  x2  4x  3
x 0 1 2 4 3

y 3 0 -1 3
2

 3  2 1 0 1 2 3 4 x
1
( 2 ,  1)
 2

 3
 Example:
In the following curve
y   2 x 2  12 x  7
Find,
a. The critical point.
b. The intervals in which the curve is increasing and decreasing.
c. The local maximum and minimum points.
d. Sketch the curve.

Solution
+ve increasing
a) Critical points ( y '  0 )
y '   4 x  12  0 y' 0 Critical point

4 x  12  x  3 -ve decreasing
 y   2 ( 3) 2  12 ( 3)  7  25  Critical point ( 3, 25 )
The Critical point ( 3, 25 )
b. The intervals
  ,3 3,  
3 x

x 0 4

y '   4 x  12 12 -4
+ve (inc.) -ve (dec.)

Increasing interval   ,3

decreasing interval 3,  
Local Max. ( 3, 25 )
y   2 x 2  12 x  7
Critical point
x 0 3 4

y 7 25 23
d. Sketch the curve. y
x 0 3 4 30 ( 3, 25 )
y 7 25 23
20

10

 3  2 1 0 1 2 3 4 x
1

 2

 3
Example:
In the following curve
y  x 3  3 x 2  10
Find,
a. The critical point.
b. The intervals in which the curve is increasing and decreasing.
c. The local maximum and minimum points.
d. The inflection point.
e. The concavity of the curve.
f. Sketch the curve.
 y  x 3  3 x 2  10
Solution
+ve increasing
a) Critical points ( y '  0 )
y' 3x 2  6 x  0 y' 0 Critical point

x (3 x  6 )  0 -ve decreasing

 x0  y  10
or 3 x  6  x  2  y  ( 2 ) 3  3( 2 ) 2  10  6

 Critical point s

( 0 ,10 ), ( 2 , 6 )
 The Critical points ( 0 ,10 ), ( 2 , 6 )
b. The intervals
  ,0 0, 2 2 ,  
0 2 x

x -1 1 3

y' 3x 2  6 x 9 -3 9
+ve (inc.) -ve (dec.) +ve (inc.)

Increasing interval   ,0  2,  

decreasing interval 0 , 2
 +ve Local Min.
c) Local Max &Min
y' 3x 2  6 x  0 y''
 y'' 6 x  6 -ve Local Max.

At( 0 ,10 )  y ' '  6 ( 0 )  6   6  0 Local Max.

At ( 2 , 6 )  y ' '  6 ( 2 )  6  6  0 Local Min.

 ( 0 ,10 ) is maximum point

 ( 2 ,6 ) is minimum point
d) The inflection point(s)
y'' 6 x  6  0
 6x  6  x 1
 y  (1) 3  3(1) 2  10  8

The inflection point is (1,8 )

e) The concavity of the curve.
+ve concave up

y'' 0 Inflection Point

-ve concave down

   ,1 1,  
x
1
inflection point (1,8)

x 0 2
-6 6
y'' 6 x  6 -ve +ve
(down) (up.)

   ,1 is concave down

 1,   is concave up
 f. Sketch the curve. y  x 3  3 x 2  10
Max. infl. Min.
x -1 0 1 2 3 y
y 6 10 8 6 10 10

 3  2 1 0 1 2 3 4 x
 2
Example:
In the following curve

y  ( x 2  9) 2
Find,
a. The critical point.
b. The intervals in which the curve is increasing and decreasing.
c. The local maximum and minimum points.
d. The inflection point.
e. The concavity of the curve.
f. Sketch the curve.
 y  ( x 2  9) 2
Solution
+ve increasing
a) Critical points ( y '  0 )
y '  2 ( x 2  9 )( 2 x )  0 y' 0 Critical point

x ( x 2  9)  0 -ve decreasing

 x0  y  81
2
or x  9  x  3  y  [( 3) 2  9 ] 2  0
, x  3  y  [(  3) 2  9 ] 2  0
 Critical point s

( 0 ,81 ), ( 3, 0 ), (  3, 0 )
 The Critical points ( 3, 0 ) , ( 0 ,81 ), ( 3, 0 )

b. The intervals
  , 3  3,0 0 , 3  3,  
3 0 3 x

x -4 -1 1 4

2 -ve +ve -ve +ve

y '  4 x ( x  9)
(dec.) (inc.) (dec.) (inc.)

Increasing interval  3, 0   3,  

decreasing interval   ,  3   0 , 3 
 +ve Local Min.
c) Local Max &Min
y '  4 x ( x 2  9 )  4 x 3  36 x y''
 y ' '  12 x 2  36 -ve Local Max.

At (3,0)  y ' '  12 (  3) 2  36  72  0 Local Min.

At (0,81)  y ' '  12 ( 0 ) 2  36   36  0 Local Max.
At (3,0 )  y ' '  12 (3) 2  36  72  0 Local Min.

(0,81) is maximum point

(3,0) , (3,0 ) are minimum point
d) The inflection points
y ' '  12 x 2  36  0
 12 ( x 2  3)  0  x 2  3  0
 x2  3  x 3  y  [( 3 ) 2  9 ] 2  36
, x   3  y  [(  3 ) 2  9 ] 2  36

The inflection points ( 3 ,36 ), (  3 ,36 )

e) The concavity of the curve.
+ve concave up

y'' 0 Inflection Point

-ve concave down

  , 3   3, 3   3,  
x
 3 3
The inflection points ( 3 ,36 ), (  3 ,36 )

x 2 0 2

2 12 -36 12
y ' '  12 x  36 +ve -ve +ve
(up.) (down) (up.)

  , 3  and  3,   are concave up

 3 , 3  is concave down
 f. Sketch the curve. y  ( x 2  9) 2
Min. infl. Max. infl. Min.
x -4 -3  3 0 3 3 4y
y 49 0 36 81 36 0 49
100

80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10

 4  3  2 1 0 1 2 3 4 x
 10