or

How to Sketch a curve

•General Shape

•Important Points

•Important Lines & Limiting Behaviour

Relative position is important. Absolute position is not.
• Quadratics, Cubics & higher-order polynomials
3
• Root graphs ( 𝑥, 𝑥)
2
• Reciprocal graphs (1/𝑥, 1/𝑥 )
• The Circle: 𝑥 − 𝑎 2 + 𝑦 − 𝑏 2 = 𝑟 2
• Trig graphs: sin 𝑥, cos 𝑥, tan 𝑥 [+ inverses & reciprocals]
• Exponentials and Logarithms
• Modulus (𝑦 = 𝑥 )
• Translations:
f 𝑥 + 𝑎 and f 𝑥 + 𝑎
• Stretches:
𝑎 f 𝑥 and f 𝑎𝑥
• Reflections:
− f 𝑥 and f −𝑥
• Modulus:
f 𝑥 and f 𝑥
• Are some parts of this function familiar?
• Positive or negative?
• Plug in some values
• Increasing or Decreasing?
• Differentiate
• Is it periodic?
• What is the period?
• Is it odd or even?
• Intercepts with the coordinate axes
• Solve for 𝑦 = 0 (𝑥-intercepts); plug in 𝑥 = 0 (𝑦-
intercepts)
• Turning Points
d𝑦
• Differentiate and set =0
d𝑥
• [Points of inflection]
d2 𝑦 d3 𝑦
• 2 =0 and ≠0
d𝑥 d𝑥 3
Asymptotes
• Vertical
• Are there any points where 𝑦 is undefined?
• What is the behaviour around these points (from
above/below)?
• Horizontal
• What happens as 𝑥 → ±∞?
• Oblique (at an angle)
• Sometimes behaviour as 𝑥 → ±∞ isn’t quite so simple…
D
Domain
IIntercepts
SSigns & Symmetry
Maxima and Minima
M
Asymptotes
A
Limiting behaviour
L
Sketch

1
−
𝑦= 𝑒 𝑥
 𝑥
1. 𝑦 = 𝑒 + sin 𝑥
𝑥
2. 𝑦 = 𝑒 sin 𝑥
sin 𝑥
3. 𝑦 = 𝑒
𝑥
4. 𝑦 = sin 𝑒
• It can help us realise “what’s going on”
• Sometimes, the real point of a question isn’t
immediately apparent.
• Example interview question:
Discuss the integral
6
1
න d𝑥
2 𝑥−3