CET 0111

CALCULUS 1

CHAPTER 6
APPLICATION OF
DERIVATIVES: SKETCHING
GRAPHS OF FUNCTIONS
 LESSON 4

CONCAVITY, POINTS OF
INFLECTION, AND THE
SECOND DERIVATIVE TEST
The direction in which a graph of function curves or bends is one of its
most distinctive features. A graph of a function may curve upward or
downward as the point that traces it moves from left to right.
DEFINITION:
The curve is said to be concave
upward if the slope of the function is
increasing as the point that traces the
curves moves from left to right.
Moreover, on the interval where the
function is concave upward, all the
tangents to the curve on that interval
are below the graph of the function. CONCAVE
UPWARD
DEFINITION:
CONCAVE
The curve is said to be concave DOWNWARD
downward if the slope of the function
is decreasing as the point that traces
the curves moves from left to right.
Moreover, on the interval where the
function is concave downward, all the
tangents to the curve on that interval
are above the graph of the function.
 On some intervals, most curves concave upward and on other
intervals, they concave downward. This information about the
concavity of a curve is indicated by the sign of the second
derivative. This is shown in the following test for concavity.
Another point, if it exists, that is significant in sketching a curve and
has something to do with the changes in the direction of concavity is
called the point of inflection.
DEFINITION:
The point where the function is continuous and its concavity changes
from concave upward to concave downward or from concave
downward to concave upward is called a point of inflection.
To identify the intervals on which the graph is concave upward or
concave downward, the following guidelines may be utilized.
The information obtained from the guidelines may be organized in
the following table.

Interval −∞, 𝒂 𝒂, 𝒃 𝒃, +∞

Test Value c d e
Sign of 𝒇′′ 𝒙 + or – + or – + or –

Behavior of the Concave Upward or Concave Upward or Concave Upward or

Graph Concave Downward Concave Downward Concave Downward
 Since a curve at its relative minimum point is usually concave
upward and at its relative maximum point is usually concave
downward, we can consider the following alternate test called the
Second Derivative Test in determining the relative extrema.
To find the relative extrema using the Second Derivative Test,
consider the following guidelines.
 Notice that when a curve is concave upward, the function is decreasing to the
left of the relative minimum point and increasing to the right. Similarly, when a
curve is concave downward, the function is increasing to the left of the relative
maximum point and decreasing to the right. An alternate test which employs
the second derivative can be used to determine whether a function is
increasing or decreasing.
EXAMPLE 1
1. Find the point of inflection and the open intervals on which the curve
𝒇 𝒙 = 𝒙𝟑 − 𝟔𝒙𝟐 + 𝟗𝒙 + 𝟏 is concave upward and concave downward.
Get the second derivative of the function 𝒇 𝒙 = 𝒙𝟑 − 𝟔𝒙𝟐 + 𝟗𝒙 + 𝟏 .
𝒇′ 𝒙 = 𝟑𝒙𝟐 − 𝟏𝟐𝒙 + 𝟗
𝒇′′ 𝒙 = 𝟔𝒙 − 𝟏𝟐
Let 𝒇′′ 𝒙 = 𝟎. 𝒇′′ 𝒙 = 𝟔 𝒙 − 𝟐
𝟎 =𝟔 𝒙−𝟐
Solve for 𝒙.
𝒙−𝟐 =𝟎
𝒙=𝟐
Therefore, the critical number is 2.
Find the point of inflection.
Substitute the critical value 𝒙 = 𝟐 to 𝒇′′ 𝒙 = 𝟔 𝒙 − 𝟐 .
𝒇′′ 𝒙 = 𝟔 𝒙 − 𝟐
𝒇′′ 𝒙 = 𝟔 𝟐 − 𝟐
𝒇′′ 𝒙 = 𝟎
Since 𝒇′′ 𝒙 = 𝟎 at 𝒙 = 𝟐, substitute the critical value 𝒙 = 𝟐 to
𝒇 𝒙 = 𝒙𝟑 − 𝟔𝒙𝟐 + 𝟗𝒙 + 𝟏.
𝒇 𝒙 = 𝒙𝟑 − 𝟔𝒙𝟐 + 𝟗𝒙 + 𝟏
𝒇 𝒙 = 𝟐 𝟑−𝟔 𝟐 𝟐+𝟗 𝟐 +𝟏
𝒇 𝒙 =𝟑
Therefore, the point of inflection is 2,3 .
These critical numbers divide the x-axis into three subintervals.
𝐼1 𝐼2
−∞ ∞
0 2 3

𝑰𝟏 = (−∞, 𝟐] 𝑰𝟐 = [𝟐, ∞)

Choose any value of 𝒙 for each subinterval.

𝒙=𝟎 𝒙=𝟑

Substitute each test value to 𝒇′′ 𝒙 = 𝟔 𝒙 − 𝟐 .

Test Point for 𝑰𝟏
𝒙=𝟎
Substitute the test point 𝒙 = 𝟎 to 𝒇′′ 𝒙 = 𝟔 𝒙 − 𝟐 .
𝒇′′ 𝒙 = 𝟔 𝒙 − 𝟐
𝒇′′ 𝒙 = 𝟔 𝟎 − 𝟐
𝒇′′ 𝒙 = −𝟏𝟐 or 𝒇′′ 𝒙 < 𝟎

Therefore, 𝑓 ′′ 𝑥 is negative, then 𝑓 𝑥 is concave downward on

𝑰𝟏 = (−∞, 𝟏].
Test Point for 𝑰𝟐
𝒙=𝟑
Substitute the test value 𝒙 = 𝟑 to 𝒇′′ 𝒙 = 𝟔 𝒙 − 𝟐 .
𝒇′′ 𝒙 = 𝟔 𝒙 − 𝟐
𝒇′′ 𝒙 = 𝟔 𝟑 − 𝟐
′′
𝒇 𝒙 =𝟔 or 𝒇′′ 𝒙 > 𝟎

Therefore, 𝑓 ′ 𝑥 is positive, then 𝑓 𝑥 is concave upward on

𝑰𝟐 = [𝟐, ∞).
 EXAMPLE 2
2. Find the point of inflection and the open intervals on which the curve
𝒇 𝒙 = 𝒙 ln 4𝑥 is concave upward and concave downward.
Get the second derivative of the function 𝒇 𝒙 = 𝒙 ln 4𝑥 .
𝒇′ 𝒙 = 𝟏 + ln 4𝑥

Let 𝒇′′ 𝒙 = 𝟎.

Since there are no critical numbers when 𝒇′′ 𝒙 = 𝟎 using the second derivative.

Therefore, there is no point of inflection.

But the graph of is discontinuous when
Therefore, 𝒙 = 𝟎 is a critical number.
The critical number 𝒙 = 𝟎 divide the x-axis into two subintervals.
𝐼1 𝐼2
−∞ ∞
0 1
Since the curve 𝒇 𝒙 = 𝒙 ln 4𝑥 is discontinuous when 𝒙 ≤ 𝟎 ,
then we have only one subinterval.
Choose any value of 𝒙 for the subinterval 𝑰𝟏 = (𝟎, ∞).
𝒙=𝟏
Substitute the test value to .
 Test Point for 𝑰𝟏
𝒙=𝟏

Substitute the test point to .

𝒇′′ 𝒙 = 𝟏 or 𝒇′′ 𝒙 > 𝟎

Therefore, 𝑓 ′′ 𝑥 is positive, then 𝑓 𝑥 is concave upward on 𝑰𝟏 =

(𝟎, ∞).
Practice Exercise

Solve Exercise 6.4, Concavity, Points of Inflection, and

the Second Derivative Test of Chapter 6: Applications of
Derivatives: Sketching Graph of Functions by Prof.
Marivic G. Molina