University Calculus: Early Transcendentals (3rd Edition)

Published by Pearson
ISBN 10: 0321999584
ISBN 13: 978-0-32199-958-0

Chapter 4 - Section 4.4 - Concavity and Curve Sketching - Exercises - Page 239: 13

Answer

The graph, observing from left to right, - falls on $(-\infty,1)$, is concave up, - at $(0,-3)$ reaches a local minimum, turns down, - starts increasing on the interval $(0,2),$ still concave up, - at $(1,1)$ changes concavity to "down" (inflection point), and continues rising to - the point $(2,5)$, a local maximum, from where - it falls on the interval $(3,\infty)$, concave down.

Work Step by Step

$y=f(x)=-2x^{3}+6x^{2}-3$ $f'(x)=-6x^{2}+12x=-6x(x-2)$ $f''(x)=-12x+12=-12(x-1)$ Analyzing $f'(x)$, we see that it is defined everywhere, and has zeros $ x=0,2\qquad$... (critical points) Applying the 2nd derivative test, $\left\{\begin{array}{lllll} x=0, & f''(0)=12\gt 0 & \Rightarrow(\min), & f(0)=-3 & (0-3)\\ x=2, & f''(0)=-12 \lt 0 & \Rightarrow(\max), & f(2)=5 & (2,5) \end{array}\right.$ $f''(x)=0$ for $x=1,\qquad f(1)=1,\quad(1,1)$ is a point of inflection. For graphing purposes: The graph of $f'(x)$ is a parabola that opens down. The graph is above the x-axis between the zeros, and below for the other two intervals. $\left[\begin{array}{ccccccccccc} f'(x): & -\infty & -- & 0 & ++ & 2 & -- & \infty\\ f(x): & & \searrow & | & \nearrow & | & \searrow & \end{array}\right]$ Concavity and points of inflection: $\left[\begin{array}{cccccccc} f''(x): & -\infty & ++ & 1 & -- & \infty & \\ f(x): & & \cup & inf. & \cap & & \end{array}\right]$
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