Calculus WIs

Lecture 7, local extrema, inflection points, concavity, global extrema

Monotonicity
1. 𝐼𝑓 𝑓 ′ (𝑥) > 0 for 𝑥 ∈ (𝑎, 𝑏) then 𝑓 ↗ 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑙𝑦 increses on (𝑎, 𝑏).
2. 𝐼𝑓 𝑓 ′ (𝑥) < 0 for 𝑥 ∈ (𝑎, 𝑏) then 𝑓 ↘ 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑙𝑦 decreses on (𝑎, 𝑏).
3. 𝐼𝑓 𝑓 ′ (𝑥) = 0 for 𝑥 ∈ (𝑎, 𝑏) then 𝑓 → is constant on (𝑎, 𝑏).

First Derivative Test: If f is continuous at c, and f ' exists in some punctured neighbourhood (𝑎, 𝑐) ∪
(𝑐, 𝑏)
i) 𝑓 ′ (𝑐) = 0 or the derivative doesn't exist and the first derivative f ' changes sign from positive to
negative (𝑓 ↗ to 𝑓 ↘) at point 𝑐 , then 𝑓(𝑐) is a local maximum.
ii) 𝑓 ′ (𝑐) = 0 or the derivative doesn't exist and the first derivative f ' changes sign from negative to
positive (𝑓 ↘ to 𝑓 ↗ ) at point 𝑐 , then 𝑓(𝑐) is a local minimum.

Second Derivative Test: If f is differentiable twice t point 𝑐, then

i) 𝑓 ′ (𝑐) = 0 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓"(𝑥) < 0 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑓(𝑐) 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑚𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑚𝑢𝑚
ii) 𝑓 ′ (𝑐) = 0 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓"(𝑥) > 0 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑓(𝑐) 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑚𝑢𝑚

Convexity, concavity
1. 𝐼𝑓 𝑓 ′′ (𝑥) > 0 for 𝑥 ∈ (𝑎, 𝑏) then 𝑓  is 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑙𝑦 convex on (𝑎, 𝑏).
2. 𝐼𝑓 𝑓 ′′ (𝑥) < 0 for 𝑥 ∈ (𝑎, 𝑏) then 𝑓  is 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑙𝑦 concave on (𝑎, 𝑏).

We say that a point (c, f (c)) is an inflection point of the function f if

1. f '(c) is finite or 𝑓 ′ = ∞ or 𝑓 ′ = −∞ 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑥 → 𝑐 , i.e. the tangent line can be vertical.
2. 𝑓′′ changes sign at c.

LARGEST / SMALLEST value in closed interval. Let f be continuous on its domain [a, b.] Suppose that
𝑐 ∈ [𝑎𝑏] and f attains the largest or smallest value c. Then one of the following three things must
happen:
(𝑖) 𝑓 ′ (𝑐) = 0 (𝑖𝑖) 𝑓 ′ (𝑐) 𝑖𝑠 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑 (𝑖𝑖𝑖) 𝑐 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 [𝑎. 𝑏]

1. Determine the intervals where the following functions are monotonic:

1−𝑥
𝑎) 𝑓(𝑥) = ln2 (𝑥) − ln(𝑥 2 ) 𝑏) 𝑓(𝑥) = √ 𝑐) 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥𝑒 −4𝑥
1+𝑥
𝑒𝑥 𝑒 𝑥
𝑑) 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑒) 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑓) 𝑓(𝑥) = exp(𝑥 2 − 2𝑥)
𝑥2 − 3 𝑥−1

2. Find the local extrema of the functions:

1 1 𝑥2
𝑎) 𝑓(𝑥) = 2𝑥 − ln 𝑥 + 𝑏) 𝑓(𝑥) = −𝑥 2 𝑐) 𝑓(𝑥) = − 4ln(𝑥 − 3)
𝑥 𝑒 −1 2
1
𝑑) 𝑓(𝑥) = (𝑥 2 − 3)𝑒 𝑥 𝑒) 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 2 𝑒 2𝑥 𝑓) 𝑓(𝑥) = 4 − 9𝑥 −
𝑥
2𝑥
𝑔) 𝑓(𝑥) = ℎ) 𝑓(𝑥) = ln(𝑥 2 + 1) 𝑖) 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 3 𝑒 −𝑥
𝑥2 + 1

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𝑗) 𝑓(𝑥) = exp (𝑥 3 − 𝑥 + 12)
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3. Find the inflection points of :

𝑥
𝑎) 𝑓(𝑥) = 3𝑥 2 − 𝑥 3 𝑏) 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑐) 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 4 − 6𝑥 2 − 6𝑥
1 + 𝑥2
3
𝑑) 𝑓(𝑥) = |ln 𝑥| 𝑒) √𝑥 3 − 6𝑥 2

4. Find the intervals where the following functions are convex or concave
1
𝑎) 𝑓(𝑥) = (𝑥 2 + 1)𝑒 −𝑥 𝑏 ∗ ) 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 ln(cos 𝑥) 𝑐) 𝑓(𝑥) = arcsin ( )
𝑥
1
𝑑) 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 4 − 8𝑥 3 + 18𝑥 2 + 64𝑥 − 1 𝑒) 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 4 + 𝑒 𝑥 𝑓) 𝑓(𝑥) =
1 + 𝑥5

5. Graph the shape( e.g. increasing and changing from convex to concave) of the function
𝑓(𝑥) in the neighbourhood of the infection points:
3𝑥 2 𝑥 3
𝑎) 𝑓(𝑥) = 6𝑥 2 − 𝑥 3 − 18𝑥 , 𝑏) 𝑓(𝑥) = + + 1.
2 6

6. Find the intervals where the following function is monotone, the intervals of concavity,
the extrema, and the inflection points.
4 3 3 2
3𝑥 2 𝑥 3
𝑎) 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 − 4𝑥 𝑏) 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 − 6𝑥 − 15𝑥 𝑐) 𝑓(𝑥) = + +1
2 6
3
𝑥2 1
𝑑) 𝑓(𝑥) = 2 − 2𝑥 − 𝑥 𝑒) 𝑓(𝑥) = + 𝑓) 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 5 − 5𝑥
2 𝑥
2𝑥
𝑔) 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 4⁄3 + 4𝑥 1⁄3 ℎ) 𝑓(𝑥) = 2
𝑥 +1
7. Sketch the graph of a function f (x) that satisfies the given conditions:

f (0)  0, f ' (2)  f ' (1)  f ' (9)  0

lim f ( x)  0, lim f ( x)  ,
x  x 6

f ' ( x)  0 on (,  2), (1, 6), and (9, )

f ' ( x)  0 on (2, 1), and (6, 9)
f ' ' ( x)  0 on (, 0), and (12, )
f ' ' ( x)  0 on (0, 6), and (6, 12)

8. Match the graph of each function in (a)- (d) with the graph of its derivative in I-IV .

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9. Find the smallest and largest value of the following functions on indicated intervals :

a) f ( x)  2 x 3  3 x 2  36 x  8, [3,6] b) f ( x)  x ln x, [1 / e 2 , e]
b' ) f ( x)  x ln x, [1, e] c) f ( x)  x  2 x , [0,5]
d) f ( x)  1  9  x 2 , [5,1] e) f ( x)  5 x 4 , [1,2]
ex
f ) f ( x)  x x  3 ,
2
[2,3] g ) f ( x)  [2,2]
1 x2
10. a) A wire 24 cm long is cut in two, and then one part is bent into the shape of a circle and
the other into the shape of a square. How should it be cut if the sum of the areas of the circle
and the square is to be a minimum?

b) Which is the more efficient container, a cube, or a circular cylinder ? (Find the most
efficient cylinder and then compare with the cube).

c) Find two positive numbers x, y whose product is 8 and such that x3+ y3 is the smallest.

d) Find the dimensions of a rectangular field with largest area if the length of the fencing is
10m.
e) A wire is 1 m long. Construct a shell model of rectangular prism which has the largest
volume.

11. The graph of the derivative of some function 𝑓 is presented below. The value of 𝑓 at 0
is known: 𝑓(0) = 1.

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Answer the following questions about 𝑓 (not the derivative 𝑓):
i) On what intervals does 𝑓 increase, decrease, is 𝑓 convex or concave ?
ii) Find the critical points? Where do any local maxima or minima occur?
iii) Is it possible that 𝑓(𝑎) = 1 in another point than 𝑎 = 0, with 0 < 𝑎 ≤ 2. If it is,
determine the approximate value of 𝑎, if not justify.

12*. The graph of f ' is shown below. Graph a hypothetical function 𝑓, if 𝑓 is a function
a) continuous and differentiable for all 𝑥 ∈ 𝑅 ;
b) continuous and differentiable for all 𝑥 ∈ 𝑅, 𝑓(0) = no assumptions;
c) continuous for 𝑥 ∈ 𝑅 and differentiable for all 𝑥 ≠ 0, 𝑓 (0) = 20.

a) b)

c)
HINT: To plot f answer the following questions about f (not f '):
i) On what intervals is f increasing, decreasing? concave, convex?
ii) Where are the critical points?
iii) Where do any relative maxima or minima occur?

13. The following graph shows 𝑓 ′ (𝑥). Are the following inequalities true?

f '(x) 𝑎) 𝑓(−7) > 𝑓(−6)

𝑏) 𝑓(−6) > 𝑓(0)
-6 7 𝑐) 𝑓(0) > 𝑓(7) ?

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14. Sketch a smooth function whose derivative at 𝑥 = 2 is zero and has an inflection point at
𝑥 = 2.

15. Construct a formula for a function which has an inflection point at 𝑥 = 4.

16. Construct a formula for a function which doesn't have a derivative at (0,0) and possesses
a vertical asymptote 𝑦 = 2

17. Plot a function which has infinitely many local extrema at points where the derivative
does not exist.

18. Give an example of a differentiable function whose first derivative is zero at point 𝑥 = 1
i.e. 𝑓 ′ (𝑥) = 0, but does not attain a local extremum at this point.

19. How many local extrema does 𝑓(𝑥) = cos(𝑥 4 + 1) have in [0, 2𝜋].

20. Give an example of a function whose second derivative is zero at 𝑥 = −1, i. e. 𝑓 ′′ (−1) =
0, and has an inflection point at 𝑥 = −1.

21. Show that there exists a positive 𝑥 ∈ 𝑅, such that

3
2
1 31 √2
𝑥 + < .
𝑥 20

22*. Show that: ∀𝑥 ∈ 𝑅: 𝑥 4 − 𝑥 2 + 2𝑥 + 3 > 0, this means that there are no real roots of
𝑥 4 − 𝑥 2 + 2𝑥 + 3 = 0.
First analyse the derivative:
𝑓 ′ (𝑥) = (𝑥 4 − 𝑥 2 + 2𝑥 + 3)′ = 4𝑥 3 − 2𝑥 + 2. It is easily seen that 𝑥 = −1 is a root of
4𝑥 3 − 2𝑥 + 2 = 0, 4𝑥 3 − 2𝑥 + 2 = 2(𝑥 + 1)(2𝑥 2 − 2𝑥 + 1). The value 𝑥 = −1 is the
only root. There is one minimum at point (−1, 1). This means that 𝑓(−1) = 1 is also the
smallest value in the domain 𝑅, all other values are larger than 1: 𝑓(𝑥) > 1. If values are
larger than 1, then they are also larger than 0: 𝑓(𝑥) > 1 ⇒ 𝑓(𝑥) > 0.

23. If 𝑥 > 𝑦 ≥ 1 , then

𝑥 𝑦
< .
𝑥4 + 3 𝑦4 + 3

24*. Show that the equation 𝑥 3 − 𝑥 2 − 5𝑥 + 3 = 0 has at least one real solution.

25*. Show that in the interval [−4,4] there are three roots of equation 𝑥 3 − 15𝑥 + 1 = 0.

26*. Which number is larger 𝑎) log 3 4 or log 4 5 ? 𝑏) 𝜋 𝑒 or 𝑒𝜋 ?