GRAPHS OF FUNCTIONS

1. Analize in details and sketch the graphs of the following functions:

x
(a) y  2 x3  12 x 2  22 x  12 ; (b) y  2 x 2  x 4 ; (c) y  ;
1  x2

1 x2 1 x3
(d) y  ; (e) y  2 ; (f) y  .
1  x2 x 1 3  x2
Solution:

(a) y  2 x3  12 x 2  22 x  12

(i) Domain of the function is the set of real numbers D  ℝ.

(ii) The function is neither odd nor even.
(iii) Zeros:

-If x  0 then y  12 , so the point P  0,  12  is on the graph.

- y  0  2 x3  12 x 2  22 x  12  0  2  x  1 x  2  x  3  0  x  1 x  2  x  3 .

In this way, we obtain the points N1 1, 0  , N2  2, 0  , N3  3, 0  .

(iv) The graph of the function does not have a vertical asymptote (we look in the domain).

Since lim y  x    , there is not a horizontal asymptote (If lim y  x   b or lim y  x   b , then the
x  x  x 

line y  b is a horizontal asymptote).

y  x
Since lim   , there is not a slant asymptote (If the graph of the function does not have a
x  x
y  x
horizontal asymptote, we search for a slant asymptote. Its equation is y  kx  n , where k  lim
x  x
and n  lim  f  x   kx  ).
x 

 3  3
(v) y  6 x 2  24 x  22  6  x  2   x  2  .
 3  3 
 

3 3
y  0  x  2   x  2 .
3 3

111
  3  3 
(vi) For x   , 2 
    2  ,   , one has y  0 , so the function is increasing in those intervals.
 3   3 

 3 3 
The function is decreasing for x   2 
 ,2  , since in that interval y  0 .
 3 3 

(vii) y  12 x  24  12  x  2 

 3   3  3
Since y  2    4 3  0 and y  2    4 3  0 , it follows that at x  2  , the function
 3 3  3
  
3
y has local maximum and at x  2  , it has a local minimum.
3
(viii) y  0  x  2 and there is a change in the sign as we go through x  2 . So at x  2 , the graph
has a point of inflexion.

For x   2,   , y  0 , so the function is concave up and for x   , 2  it is concave down (A function
is concave up on the interval I (the graph is above the tangent) if y  0 on that interval. If y   0 then
the function is concave down (the graph is beneath the tangent)).
(ix) graph

1 2 3 4

112
(b) y  2 x 2  x 4

(i) Domain of the function is the set of real numbers D  ℝ.

(ii) The function is even since y   x   y  x  .

(iii) Zeros:

-If x  0 then y  0 , so the graph is passing through the origin.

 
- y  0  2 x2  x4  0   x2 x2  2  0  x  0  x   2  x  2 .


In this way, besides the origin O  0, 0  , we obtain the points N1  2, 0 , N 2   
2, 0 .

(iv) The graph of the function does not have asymptotes. Discussion is similar to the one given in (a).
Remember that, in general, the graph of a polynomial function does not have asymptotes.

 
(v) y  4 x  4 x3  4 x 1  x 2  4 x 1  x 1  x  . y  0  x  1  x  0  x  1 .

(vi) y  y  0  x   ,  1   0,1 and y  y  0  x   1, 0   1,   .

( stands for increasing and for decreasing).

(vii) y  4  12 x 2 .

Since y  1   8  0, y  0   4  0 and y 1   8  0 , it follows that at x  1 and x  1 , the

function y has local maximum and at x  0 , y has a local minimum.

3
(viii) y  0  x    points of inflexion. The function y is concave up ( y  0 ) for
3
 3 3  3  3 
x    ,  and y is concave down ( y   0 ) for x   ,     ,   .
 3 3   3   3 
(ix) graph
1.0

0.5

1.5 1.0 0.5 0.5 1.0 1.5

0.5

113
 x
(c) y 
1  x2
(i) Domain of the function is the set of real numbers D  ℝ.

(ii) The function is odd since y   x    y  x  .

(iii) Zeros: y  0  x  0 . So the graph is passing through the origin O  0, 0  .

(iv) The graph of the function does not have an vertical asymptote.

Since lim y  x   0 , the line y  0 is a horizontal asymptote.

x 

The existence of a horizontal asymptote implies non existence of a slant asymptote.

1  x2
(v) y  . y  0  x  1  x  1 .
1  x 2 2

(vi) y  y  0  x   1,1 and y  y  0  x   ,  1  1,   .

2 x  x 2  3
(vii) y  .
1  x 
2 3

Since y  1   0 and y 1   0 , it follows that at x  1 , y has a local minimum and at x  1 , the
function y has local maximum.

(viii) y  0  x  0  x   3  points of inflexion.

y is concave up ( y  0 ) for x   3, 0     3,   and y is concave down ( y   0 ) for


x  ,  3  0, 3 .  
(ix) graph

0.4

0.2

15 10 5 5 10 15

0.2

0.4

114
 1
(d) y 
1  x2
(i) Domain of the function is the set D  ℝ\{-1, 1}.

(ii) The function is even since y   x   y  x  .

(iii) Zeros:

y  0, x  D . If x  0 then y  1 . We obtained the point P  0,1 .

(iv) Vertical asymptotes: x  1 and x  1 .

Since lim y  x   0 , the line y  0 is a horizontal asymptote.

x 

2x
(v) y  . y  0  x  0.
1  x 2 2

(vi) y  y  0  x   0,1  1,   and y  y  0  x   ,  1   1,0  .

6 x2  2
(vii) y  .
1  x  2 3

Since y  0   2  0 , it follows that at x  0 , y has a local minimum.

(viii) Because y  0, x  D , there is no point of inflexion.

y is concave up ( y  0 ) for x   1,1 and y is concave down ( y   0 ) for x   ,  1  1,   .

(ix) graph

3 2 1 1 2 3

115
 x2 1
(e) y 
x2  1
(i) Domain of the function is the set of real numbers D  ℝ.

(ii) The function is even since y   x   y  x  .

(iii) Zeros: y  0  x 2  1  0  x  1 . We obtained the points N1  1,0  , N 2 1,0  . For x  0 , we

obtain the point P  0,1 .

(iv) The graph of the function does not have an vertical asymptote.

Since lim y  x   1 , the line y  1 is a horizontal asymptote.

x 

4x
(v) y  . y  0  x  0.
x  1
2 2

(vi) y  y  0  x  0 and y  y  0  x  0 .

4 1  3x 2 
(vii) y  .
x  1
2 3

Since y  0   4  0 , it follows that at x  0 (The point is M  0,  1 ) , y has a local minimum.

3
(viii) y   0  x    points of inflexion.
3

 3 3  3  3 
y is concave up for x    ,  and y is concave down for x   ,    ,   .
 3 3   3   3
   
(ix) graph
1.0

0.5

5 5

0.5

1.0

116
 x3
(f) y 
3  x2

(i) Domain of the function is the set D  ℝ\  3, 3 .  

(ii) The function is odd since y   x    y  x  .

(iii) Zeros: y  0  x  0 .

(iv) Vertical asymptotes: x   3 and x  3 .

Since lim y  x    , the graph does not have an horizontal asymptote.

x 

y  x
Slant asymptote ( k  lim  1; n  lim  y  x   kx   0 ): y   x .
x  x x 

x2 9  x2 
(v) y  . y  0  x  0  x  3.
3  x2 
2

(vi) y 
 y  0  9  x 2  0  x  3,  3   3, 3      
3,3 ;

y  y  0  x   ,  3   3,   .

6 x 9  x2 
(vii) y  .
3  x2 
3

Since y  3  0, y  3  0, y  0   0 , it follows that the function y has local minimum at x  3 ,
local maximum at x  3 and point of inflexion at x  0 .

   
(viii) y is concave up for x  ,  3  0, 3 ; y is concave down for x   3, 0     
3,  .

(ix) graph
20

10

4 2 2 4

10

20

117
2. Discuss the graph in details (domain, continuity, asymptotes, critical points, local extremes, monotonicity
(increasing or decreasing), concavity).

Solution.

(i) Domain of the function is the interval ( a , p) .

(ii) The function is continuous over the domain, except at x  d . At this point the function is discontinuous
since the left limit does not exist.

(iii) The graph of the function has an vertical asymptote at x  d .

(iv) At x  b, x  q the function has local maximums and at x  c, x  r it has local minimums. More
over, y  b   y  c   0 and y  r  , y  q  do not exist. (Remember that in general, the derivative y 
does not exist at the sharp peaks). The derivative y  does not exist also at x  e (In general, the
derivative y  does not exist in the corners) and y  does not exist at x  d (In general, a function is
not differentiable ( y  does not exist) at the points at which the function is discontinuous. That is
contrapositive statement of a well known theorem).

(v) The function is increasing for x  (a, b)   c, d    r ,q  . In these intervals y  0 . The function is
decreasing for x  (b,c)   e, r    q, p  . In these intervals y  0 . For x   d, e  , y  0 since in this
interval, the graph of the function is a horizontal line ( y  k  y  0 ).

(vi) At x  m , the graph has a point of inflexion and y  m  =0. The function is concave up for x  (m, d)
and in this interval y  0 . The function is concave down for x  (a, m) and in this interval y   0 . In the
interval (d, p) , y  0 . The last is obvious since the graph consists of straight lines (For the equation of a
straight line y  k x  n , y  0 ).

(vii) The point at x  s is just a regular point on the graph.

118