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Increasing/decreasing intervals, concavity, totally not getting this problem?

Hi,

Ok, so here's my problem. I'm supposed to find the intervals on which this function is increasing / decreasing.

f(x) = 2x^2 - 8(x^4)

That gives me

f'(x) = 4x - 32x^3

So to find x, I set it to equal 0.

0 = 4x - 32x^3

0 = 4x(1 - 8x^2)

Which gives me

4x = 0

and

1 - 8x^2 = 0

===>

x = 0

and

1 = 8x^2

1/8 = x^2

x = (positive and negative) sqrt(1/8)

So I got x = 0, (positive and negative) sqrt(1/8)

(Typing "infinity" as "INF" and "-infinity" as "-INF") that gives me these intervals:

(-INF, -(sqrt(1/8)))

(-(sqrt(1/8)), 0)

(0, (sqrt(1/8)))

((sqrt(1/8)), INF)

So I set up a little chart.

Headings for the column are as such:

Interval | 4x | (1-8x^2) | f'(x) | f is...

First column, I write the interval;

Second column, I write whether plugging in a number from said interval into 4x will give me a positive or negative number;

Third column, do the same thing, only with (1-8x^2) instead of 4x;

Fourth column, I multiply the results from the previous two columns (e.g. positive * negative = negative);

Fifth column, I write "increasing" or "decreasing," depending on whether the fourth column says "positive" or "negative" (e.g. if the fourth column says positive, I put "increasing").

I found that on the intervals (-INF, -(sqrt(1/8))) and (-(sqrt(1/8)), 0), the function was increasing; on the intervals (0, (sqrt(1/8))) and ((sqrt(1/8)), INF), I found the function to be decreasing...

...only, that poses a problem. How could two intervals, between two zeros of f'(x), both be increasing or both be decreasing?

Update:

I have graphed it, but I'm supposed to be able to do it without a calculator...

3 Answers

Relevance
  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    Correct.

  • 4 years ago

    a million. you comprehend a thank you to define horizontal limits and xandy intercepts etc ideal? because of the fact im only gonna bypass into the spinoff areas. y' = 2x+2 Set y' = 0 to locate severe factors. 2x+2 = 9 x= -a million Plug into f' alongside a extensive selection line to envision regardless of if we are increasing or lowering. lowering (-?,-a million] increasing [a million.?) <-- you are going to be using era nottation properly. there's a close-by min at (-a million, 6) No POI And concavity is up on era (-?,?) commit it to memory is a parabolic functionality, you are going to be abel to attend to extensive type 2 now, dont forget approximately to envision your solutions. only bypass onto wolframalpha and graph it

  • 1 decade ago

    Have you graphed it?

    Remember, the zeros of the first derivative are just the inflection points. To see whether the inflection point is concave up or down, take the second derivative.

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