Derivative Tests

Mathematics 100
Institute of Mathematics

Math 100 (Inst. of Mathematics)

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Outline

Increasing and Decreasing functions

Relative and Absolute Extrema

Concavity and Points of Inflection

Curve Sketching

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Intuitive Definition of Increasing and Decreasing Functions

On the interval (, 0), as the graph goes from left to right, the
graph is rising.
On the interval (0, +), as the graph goes from left to right, the
graph is falling.
The function is increasing at (, 0) and decreasing at (0, +).

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Increasing and Decreasing Functions

Definition
A function f is increasing on an interval I if for any x1 and x2 in the
interval I,
x1 < x2 implies f (x1 ) < f (x2 ).
A function f is decreasing on an interval I if for any x1 and x2 in the
interval I,
x1 < x2 implies f (x1 ) > f (x2 ).

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Illustration

y1 y2
y2 y1
y1 > y2 y1 < y2

x1 x2
x1 < x2

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x1 x2
x1 < x2

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Application of the Derivative

Consider the tangent lines at the intervals where the function is

increasing:

Remark

When the graph is increasing on an interval I, then for any x I, the

slope of the tangent line at that point is positive.
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Application of the Derivative

Consider the tangent lines at the intervals where the function is

decreasing:

Remark

When the graph is decreasing on an interval I, then for any x I, the

slope of the tangent line at that point is negative.
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Application of the Derivative

Consider the tangent lines at the intervals where the function is

constant.

Remark

At the interval (a, b), where the graph is neither increasing nor
decreasing, the tangent line is the horizontal line (slope is zero).
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Theorem

Theorem
Let f be differentiable on an interval (a, b).
1. If f 0 (x) > 0 for all x (a, b) then f is increasing on (a, b).
2. If f 0 (x) < 0 for all x (a, b) then f is decreasing on (a, b).
3. If f 0 (x) = 0 for all x (a, b) then f is constant on (a, b).

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Critical Numbers

Remark
For a continuous function f , f 0 (x) can change sign only at x -values
where f 0 (x) = 0 or is undefined.
We call these x-values the critical numbers of f .

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Examples
3
1. Find the intervals on which f (x) = x 3 x 2 is increasing or
2
decreasing.

Solution:
We need to determine the intervals when f 0 (x) is positive and negative.
To determine these intervals, find the critical number(s). (values of x
when f 0 (x) = 0.

Math 100 (Inst. of Mathematics)

f 0 (x)

= 3x 2 3x

= 3x 2 3x

= 3x(x 1)

= 0, 1

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Examples

Solution (Contd):
Determine the sign of f 0 (x) (not f (x)) for the intervals (, 0), (0, 1),
and (1, +).

x
x 1
f 0 (x) = 3x(x 1)

(, 0)

(0, 1)
+

(1, +)
+
+
+

Hence, f is increasing at the interval (, 0) (1, +) and

decreasing at the interval (0, 1).

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Relative and Absolute Extrema

Definition
Let f be a function defined at c.
1. f (c) is called a relative maximum of f if there exists an interval (a, b)
containing c such that for all x (a, b)
f (x) f (c)
2. f (c) is called a relative minimum of f if there exists an interval (a, b)
containing c such that for all x (a, b)
f (x) f (c)
3. f (c) is an absolute maximum of f if f (x) f (c) for every x domf .
f (c) is an absolute minimum of f if f (x) f (c) for every x domf .

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Illustration

relative maximum
relative minimum

relative minimum
absolute minimum

Math 100 (Inst. of Mathematics)

no absolute maximum
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FDT for Relative Extrema

First Derivative Test for Relative Extrema:
Let f be continuous on the interval (a, b) in which c is the only critical
number. If f is differentiable on the interval (except possibly at c), then
1. If f 0 (x) > 0 for x < c and f 0 (x) < 0 for x > c, then f (c)
is a relative maximum.
2. If f 0 (x) < 0 for x < c and f 0 (x) > 0 for x > c, then f (c)
is a relative minimum.
3. If f 0 (x) > 0 for x (a, b) such that x 6= c and f 0 (x) < 0 for
x (a, b) such that x 6= c, then f (c) is neither a relative
maximum nor minimum.

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Examples
1. Find all relative extrema of the function
f (x) = 2x 3 3x 2 36x + 14.

Solution:
Look for values of x where the sign of the first derivative changes.
Find the critical numbers: Set the derivative of f (x) equal to zero.
f 0 (x)

6x 2 6x 36

6(x 2 x 6)

6(x 3)(x + 2) = 0

x = 3, 2
Since f 0 is defined for all real numbers, the only critical numbers of f are
x = 2 and x = 3.
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f (x) = 2x 3 3x 2 36x + 14

Solution (Cont.):
(, 2) 2 (2, 3)
3
(3, +)
f (x)
58
67
x +2

0
+
+
+
x 3

0
+
0
f (x) = 6(x + 2)(x 3)
+
0

0
+
Using the First Derivative Test, f (2) = 58 is a relative maximum and
f (3) = 67 is a relative minimum.

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Examples
2. Find all relative extrema of the function f (x) = x 4 4x 3 .

Solution:
f 0 (x) = 4x 3 12x 2 = 4x 2 (x 3) = 0 x = 0, 3
(, 0)
f (x)
x2
x 3
0
f (x) = 4x 2 (x 3)

0
0
0

(0, 3)
+

3
27
+
0
0

(3, +)
+
+
+

At x = 0, f 0 does not change sign from to +, vice versa. Hence the

only extremum is f (3) = 27 which is a relative minimum.

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SDT for Relative Extrema

Second Derivative Test for Relative Extrema

Suppose f 00 exists on some open interval containing c and f 0 (c) = 0.
1. If f 00 (c) > 0, then f (c) is a relative minimum.
2. If f 00 (c) < 0, then f (c) is a relative maximum.
3. If f 00 (c) = 0, then the test fails.

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Illustration
We use the second derivative test in the previous examples to
determine the relative extrema.

Example 1
Find the relative extrema of f (x) = 2x 3 3x 2 36x + 14.
We need to find the values c such that f 0 (c) = 0. (the critical
numbers). x = 2 and x = 3 (Verify!)
Find the second derivative:
f 00 (x) = 12x 6
Evaluate the second derivative at the critical numbers:
f 00 (2) = 12(2) 6 = 30 < 0 relative maximum
f 00 (3) = 12(3) 6 = 30 > 0 relative minimum

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Illustration

Example 2
Find the relative extrema of f (x) = x 4 4x 3 .
We need to find the values c such that f 0 (c) = 0. (the critical
numbers). x = 0 and x = 3 (Verify!)
Find the second derivative:
f 00 (x) = 12x 2 24x
Evaluate the second derivative at the critical numbers:
f 00 (3) = 12(3)2 24(3) = 36 > 0 relative minimum
f 00 (0) = 12(0) 24(0) = 0 test fails
Apply the FDT for x = 0.

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Definitions

Concavity
Let f be differentiable on an open interval I. The graph of f is
1. concave upward on I if f 0 is increasing on the interval.
2. concave downward on I if f 0 is decreasing on the interval.

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Definitions

concave upward
f 0 is increasing
concave downward
f 0 is decreasing

1. A curve that lies above its tangent lines is concave upward.

2. A curve that lies below its tangent lines is concave downward.

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Definitions

Let f be a function whose second derivative exists on an open interval I.

1. If f 00 (x) > 0 for all x I, then the graph of f is concave upward on I.
2. If f 00 (x) < 0 for all x I, then the graph of f is concave downward on I.

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Definitions

For a continuous function f we can find the intervals on which the

graph is concave upward and concave downward through these steps:
a) Find the second derivative.
b) Locate the x values at which f 00 (x) = 0 or undefined.
c) Use the x values to determine the test intervals.
d) Test the sign of f 00 (x) in each of the test intervals.

Point of Inflection
The point wherein the concavity changes is called a point of
inflection.

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Example

Determine the points of inflection and discuss the concavity of the

graph of f (x) = x 4 + x 3 3x 2 + 1.

Solution:
Differentiating twice, we have
f 00 (x) = 12x 2 + 6x 6 = 6(2x 2 + x 1) = 6(2x 1)(x + 1)
By setting f 00 (x) = 0, we see the that the possible points of inflection
occur at x = 1 and x = 1/2.

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Example

Solution (Cont.):
(, 1)
f (x)
2x 1
x +1
f 00 (x) = 6(2x 1)(x + 1)

1
2

0
0

1, 12

1
2
7
16

1
2 , +

0
+
0

+
+
+


Hence the graph is concave up on the interval (, 1)


1
concave down on 1,
2

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1
, + and is
2

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Curve Sketching (Examples)

1. Sketch the graph of f (x) = x 3 9x 2 + 15x 12.

Solution:
Solve the first and second derivatives:
f 0 (x) = 3x 2 18x + 15 = 3(x 2 6x + 5) = 3(x 1)(x 5) = 0 x = 1, 5
f 00 (x) = 6x 18 = 6(x 3) = 0 x = 3
f (1) = 5 and f (5) = 37 hence (1, 5) and (5, 37) are the critical
points of the graph of f .
f (3) = 21, so (3, 21) is a possible point of inflection.

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Curve Sketching (Examples)

Solution (Cont.):
(, 1)

1
5

(1, 3)

3
21

(3, 5)

5
37

(5, +)

+
0
0

+
+
+

f (x)
x 1
x 5
f 0 (x) = 3(x 1)(x 5)
f 00 (x) = 6(x 3)

graph of f(x)

inc

rel

dec

point of

dec

rel

inc

conc down

max

conc down

inflection

conc up

min

conc up

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Curve Sketching (Examples)

Solution (Cont.):
Graph:

10
5
3 2 1 0 1
5

9 10

10
15
20
25
30
35
40
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Curve Sketching (Examples)

2. Sketch the graph of f (x) = x 3 + 3x 2 2.

Solution:
Derivatives:
f 0 (x) = 3x 2 + 6x = 3x(x + 2) = 0 x = 0, 2
f 00 (x) = 6x + 6 = 6(x + 1) = 0 x = 1
f (0) = 2 and f (2) = 2, hence (0, 2) and (2, 2) are the critical points of
the graph of f .
Evaluating f at x = 1, we get 0, so (1, 0) is a possible point of inflection.

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Curve Sketching (Examples)

Solution (Cont.):
(, 0)

0
2

(0, 1)

1
0

(1, 2)

2
2

(2, +)

0
+
0

+
+
+

+
+
+

+
+
+

+
0
0

f 00 (x) = 6(1 x)

graph of f(x)

dec

rel

inc

point of

inc

rel

dec

conc up

min

conc up

inflection

conc down

max

conc down

f (x)
x
2x
f 0 (x) = 3x(2 x)

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Curve Sketching (Examples)

Solution (Cont.):
Graph:

3
2
1

1
2

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Lecture Exercises

Determine the interval/s over which the graph of the function

f (x) = e2x 3ex + x 2 is increasing/decreasing.
Sketch the graphs of the following functions.
a. f (x) = x 3 3x 2 + 4
b. f (x) = x 3 6x 2 + 9x 3
3
c. f (x) = x 4 4x 3 + 6x 2
4
d. f (x) = x 5 + 5x

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