Applications of Derivatives

1. Critical Number: A number x c is known as a critical number of a function f ( x) if

f (c) exists
f (c) 0 or f (c) does not exist
Working Rule

Step 1: Find f (x) and factor it.

Step 2: Set f ( x) 0 and solve for x.
These x values are the candidates for critical numbers.
Step 3: The values from step 2 will be the critical numbers if f (x ) exist at these points.

Solved Examples
Find the critical numbers of the function
f ( x) 5 x 2 4 x

Solution: We have
f ( x) 5 x 2 4 x

Step 1: Find f (x) and factor it.

f ( x) 5 x 2 4 x

f ( x) 10 x 4
f ( x) 2(5 x 2)
Step 2: Set f ( x) 0
2(5 x 2) 0 x

Step 3: f ( 25 ) exists.

2
5

Thus x 52 is the critical number of the function

Find the critical numbers of the function
f ( x) x 3 x 2 x

Solution:
Step 1: Find f (x) and factor it.
f ( x) x 3 x 2 x
f ( x ) 3 x 2 2 x 1
f ( x ) 3 x 2 3 x x 1

f ( x) 3 x( x 1) 1( x 1)
f ( x ) (3 x 1)( x 1)
Step 2: Set f ( x) 0
f ( x) (3x 1)( x 1)

1
x , 1
3

Step 3: f (1) and f ( 13 ) both exist.

Thus x 1, 13 are the critical numbers of the function.
Find the critical numbers of the function

x2 1
f ( x) 2
x 1

Solution:
Step 1: Find f (x) and factor it.
x2 1
f ( x) 2
x 1
f ( x )

( x 2 1)( x 2 1) ( x 2 1)( x 2 1)
( x 2 1) 2

f ( x)

( x 2 1)( 2 x) ( x 2 1)(2 x)
( x 2 1) 2

2x 3 2x 2x3 2x
( x 2 1) 2
4x
f ( x) 2
( x 1) 2
f ( x)

Step 2: Set f ( x) 0
4x
4x 0 x 0
( x 1) 2
Step 3: f (0) exists.
Thus x 0 is the critical number of the function.
f ( x)

Find the critical numbers of the function

4

f ( x ) x 5 ( x 4) 2

Solution:
Step 1: Find f (x) and factor it.
4

f ( x ) x 5 ( x 4) 2
4
5

4
5

f ( x) x [( x 4) ] ( x 4) ( x )
2

4 1
f ( x) x 5 .2( x 4) ( x 4) 2 . x 5
5
4
1

4
2
5

f ( x) 2 x .( x 4) ( x 4) .x 5
5
1
2
f ( x) x 5 .( x 4)[5 x 2( x 4).]
5
1
2
f ( x) x 5 .( x 4)[5 x 2 x 8]
5

f ( x)

2( x 4)(7 x 8)
5x

1
5

Step 2: Set f ( x) 0
2( x 4)(7 x 8)
f ( x)
1

2( x 4)(7 x 8) 0 x 4,

5x 5
Also f (x) does not exist for x 0
Candidates for critical numbers are x 0, 4,

8
7

Step 3: f (0), f ( 4) and f ( 87 ) exist.

Thus x 0, 4,

8
are the critical numbers of the function.
7

Find the critical numbers of the function

f ( x ) x ln x

Solution:
Step 1: Find f (x) and factor it.
f ( x ) x ln x

f ( x) x(ln x) ln x( x)
f ( x) x.

1
ln x.1
x

f ( x) 1 ln x
f ( x) ln e ln x
f ( x) ln ex

Step 2: Set f ( x) 0
f ( x) ln ex
ln ex 0
ln ex ln 1
ex 1 x

1
e

Step 3: f ( 1e ) exists.
Thus x

1
is the critical number of the function.
e

Find the critical numbers of the function

f ( x) xe 2 x

Solution:
Step 1: Find f (x) and factor it.
f ( x) xe 2 x

8
7

f ( x ) x (e 2 x ) e 2 x .( x )
f ( x ) x (e 2 x .2) e 2 x .(1)
f ( x) e 2 x ( 2 x 1)

Step 2: Set f ( x) 0
e 2 x ( 2 x 1) 0

2x 1 0
x

1
2

Step 3: f ( 12 ) exists.
Thus x

1
is the critical number of the function.
2

Find the critical numbers of the function

f ( x) x

1
x

Solution:
Step 1: Find f (x) and factor it.
f ( x) x

1
x

1
x2
2
x 1
f ( x)
x2
( x 1)( x 1)
f ( x)
x2
Step 2: Set f ( x) 0
f ( x) 1

( x 1)( x 1) 0
x 1,

Also f (x) dose not exist at x 0

Candidates for critical numbers are x 0, 1, 1
Step 3: f (1) and f (1) exist but f (0) does not exist.
Thus x 1, 1 are the critical numbers of the function.

2.

Intervals of Increasing and Decreasing Functions

A function is increasing on an interval if for any x1 and x2 in the interval then

x1 x2

f ( x1 ) f ( x2 )

A function is decreasing on an interval if for any x1 and x2 in the interval then

x1 x 2

f ( x1 ) f ( x 2 )

How does this relate to derivatives? Recall that the derivative is the limit
f ( x 2 ) f ( x1 )
x 2 x1

If x1 < x2, then the denominator will be positive. Now if

f ( x1 ) f ( x 2 ) , then the numerator will be positive, hence the derivative will be positive.

f ( x1 ) f ( x 2 ) , then the numerator will be negative and the derivative will be negative.

A function f ( x) is called an increasing function in an interval (a, b) if

f ( x) is differentiable on the interval (a, b) .
f ( x) 0 for all values of x ( a, b) .

A function f ( x) is called a decreasing function in an interval (a, b) if

f ( x) is differentiable on the interval (a, b) .
f ( x) 0 for all values of x ( a, b) .

Working Rule

Step 1: Find f (x) and factor it.

Step 2: Set f ( x) 0 and solve for x.
These x values will divide real number line into intervals I.
Step 3: If f ( x) 0 for all x I , then the function f (x ) is increasing on I.
If f ( x) 0 for all x I , then the function f (x ) is decreasing on I.

Solved Examples
2
Determine the intervals on which the function f ( x) x 8 x 4 is increasing or decreasing.
f ( x) x 2 8 x 4
Solution:
f ( x) 2 x 8
f ( x) 2( x 4)
Set f ( x) 0
2( x 4) 0 x 4
Here the intervals are ( , 4) ( 4, ) .

Intervals
(, 4)
( 4, )

3.

Test Point
x0
x5

f (x)
ive
ive

Conclusion
Function is decreasing
Function is increasing

Local (Relative) Minimum and Local Maximum Values

The First Derivative Test

Suppose c is a critical number of a continuous function f.

(a) If f (x) changes from ive to ive at c, then the function f has a local
maximum or relative maximum at a point c.
(b) If f (x) changes from ive to ive at c, then the function f has a local
minimum or relative minimum at a point c.

(c) If f (x) does not change the sign at c, then the function f has no local
minimum or local maximum at c.
Find the local maximum and minimum values of the function f ( x) x 4 4 x 3 .
Solution: f ( x) x 4 4 x 3
f ( x) 4 x 3 12 x 2
f ( x) 4 x 2 ( x 3)

Set f ( x) 0

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

Since f (0) and f (3) exist, therefore x 0, 3 are the critical numbers of the function.
These points divide the domain of the function into three intervals:
(, 0) (0, 3) (3, ) .
Intervals
(, 0)
(0, 3)

(3, )

Test Point
x 1
x 1
x4

f (x)
ive
ive
ive

Conclusion

Since f (x) changes from ive to ive at 3,

so the function has a local minimum at x = 3.

Local minimum value is

f (3) (3) 4 4(3) 3 81 108 27

4.

Absolute Minimum and Absolute Maximum Values

Closed Interval Method
To find the absolute maximum and minimum values of a continuous function f on a
closed interval [a, b]:
1. Find the values of f at the critical numbers of f in (a, b).
2. Find the values of f at the end points of the interval.
3. The largest of the values from step 1 and 2 is the absolute maximum value;
the smallest of the values from step 1 and 2 is the absolute minimum value.
Find the absolute and local maximum minimum values of the function
[0, 3]
f ( x ) 3 x 2 12 x 5 ,
2
Solution: f ( x) 3 x 12 x 5
f ( x) 6 x 12
f ( x ) 6( x 2)
f ( x) 0
Set
6( x 2) 0
x2
x 2 is the only critical number.

Now
f (2) 3( 2) 2 12( 2) 5 12 24 5 7

f (0) 3(0) 2 12(0) 5 0 0 5 5

f (3) 3(3) 2 12(3) 5 27 36 5 4

Absolute maximum value = 5

Absolute minimum value = -7

Concavity
A function is called concave upward on an interval I if f (x) is an increasing function on I and
is called concave downward on I if f (x) is decreasing.
A point where a curve changes its direction of concavity is called an inflection point.

Concavity Test
o If f ( x) 0 for all x in the interval I, then the graph of f (x ) is concave upward on I.
o If f ( x) 0 for all x in the interval I, then the graph of f (x ) is concave downward on I.

Second Derivative Test

Suppose f (x ) is continuous near c.

o If f (c) 0 and f (c) 0 , then the graph of f (x ) has a local minimum at c.
o If f (c) 0 and f (c) 0 , then the graph of f (x ) has a local maximum at c.

Please remember
o Concave down does not hold water
o Concave up does hold water

Test for Concavity

Mr. Happy
Concave up
Second Derivative is Positive

Mr. Sad
Concave down
Second Derivative is Negative

Mr. Quiet
No Concavity
Second Derivative is Zero

Example: Discuss the curve

f ( x) x 4 4 x 3 with respect to concavity, points of inflection and

local extrema.

Solution:

f ( x) x 4 4 x 3
f ( x) 4 x 3 12 x 2
f ( x) 4 x 2 ( x 3)

Set f ( x) 0

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

Since f (0) and f (3) exist, therefore x 0, 3 are the critical numbers of the function.
For second derivative test, we need to evaluate f (x ) at these critical numbers.
We have
f ( x) 4 x 3 12 x 2
f ( x ) 12 x 2 24 x

f ( x) 12 x( x 2)
f (0) 12(0)(0 2) 0 and f (3) 12(3)(3 2) 36 0
Since f (3) 0 and f (3) 0 , therefore f has a local minimum at x 3 and local minimum
value is f (3) (3) 4 4(3) 3 81 108 27 .
Since f (0) 0 , the second derivative test gives no information about the critical number 0.
We also notice from the table that the function has no local min or local max for 0< x< 3.
f (x) Conclusion
Intervals
Test Point
(, 0)
ive The function is decreasing
x 1
(0, 3)
ive The function is decreasing. No change
x 1

Set

f ( x ) 0
12 x ( x 2) 0
x 0, 2

These points divide the domain of f (x) into three intervals:

( , 0) (0, 2) ( 2, ) .
f (x ) Conclusion
Intervals
Test Point
(, 0)
ive
x 1
Concave upward
(0, 2)
ive Concave downward
x 1
(2, )
ive
x3
Concave upward

At x = 0 and 2, the curve changes its direction of concavity.

f (0) 0 , f ( 2) ( 2) 4 4( 2) 3 16 32 16
Here points of inflection are (0, 0) and (2,-16).