Arkansas Tech University

MATH 2914: Calculus I

Dr. Marcel B. Finan

4.3 Finding Local Extreme Values: First and Second Deriva-

tives
Recall that a function f (x) is said to be increasing (respectively decreasing)
in an interval I if f (x1 ) < f (x2 ) (respectively f (x1 ) > f (x2 )) whenever
x1 < x2 where x1 and x2 are in the domain of f. The following result pro-
vides a way for testing whether a function is increasing or decreasing:

Increasing/Decreasing test
• If f 0 (x) > 0 on an open interval I then f (x) is increasing on I.
• If f 0 (x) < 0 on an open interval I then f (x) is decreasing on I.

Example 4.3.1
Consider the function f (x) = x3 − 9x2 − 48x + 52. Find the intervals where
the function is increasing/decreasing.

Solution.
Finding the first derivative we obtain f 0 (x) = 3x2 −18x−48 = 3(x−8)(x+2).
Constructing the chart of signs as shown in Figure 4.3.1

Figure 4.3.1

we see that f (x) is increasing on (−∞, −2) ∪ (8, ∞) and decreasing on

(−2, 8)

Next we will discuss a procedure for finding local extrema of a function

based on the first derivative which we call the first derivative test.

First-Derivative Test
Suppose that a continuous function f has a critical point at p with f 0 (p) = 0.
• If f 0 changes sign from negative to positive at p, then f has a local mini-
mum at p.
• If f 0 changes sign from positive to negative at p, then f has a local maxi-
mum at p. See Figure 4.3.2.

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 Figure 4.3.2

Example 4.3.2
(a) Find the local extrema of the function f (x) = x3 − 9x2 − 48x + 52.
(b) Find the local extrema of the function f (x) = sin x + ex , x ≥ 0.

Solution.
(a) Using the chart of signs of f 0 discussed in Example 4.3.1, we find that
f (x) has a local maximum at x = −2 and a local minimum at x = 8.
(b) Finding the derivative to obtain f 0 (x) = cos x+ex . But for x ≥ 0, 1 ≤ ex .
Since −1 ≤ cos x ≤ 1, adding the two inequalities we see that 0 ≤ cos x + ex .
This implies that f 0 does not change sign for x ≥ 0. Therefore, there are no
local maxima. The only local minimum occurs at the point (0, 1)

As the first derivative provides information about whether a function is

increasing or decreasing, the second derivative can be used to provide in-
formtion about whether the graph opens up or down.
We say that a graph is concave up in an interval I if all the tangent lines
on I lie below the graph. In the case all the tangent lines on I lie above the
graph, we say that the graph is concave down.
We have the following

Concavity test
• If f 00 (x) > 0 on an open interval I then f (x) is concave up on I.
• If f 00 (x) < 0 on an open interval I then f (x) is concave down on I.

Example 4.3.3
Consider the function f (x) = x3 − 9x2 − 48x + 52. Find the intervals where
the function is concave up or down.

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Solution.
Finding the second derivative, we obtain f 00 (x) = 6x − 18 = 6(x − 3). So,
f (x) is concave up on (3, ∞) and concave down on (−∞, 3)

We have seen that a local extremum is a point where the first derivative
changes sign. Next, we will discuss points where the second derivative
changes sign. That is, the points where the graph of the function changes
concavity. We call such points points of inflection.
How do you find the points of inflection? Well, since f 00 changes sign on
the two sides of an inflection point then it makes sense to say that points of
inflection occur at points where either the second derivative is 0 or undefined.

Example 4.3.4
Find the point(s) of inflection of the function f (x) = xe−x .

Solution.
Using the product rule to obtain f 0 (x) = e−x − xe−x . Using the product
rule for the second time we find f 00 (x) = e−x (x − 2). Thus, a candidate for
a point of inflection is x = 2. Since f 00 (x) > 0 for x > 2 and f 00 (x) < 0 for
x < 2, x = 2 is a point of inflection

Remark 4.3.1
We have seen that not every value of x where the derivative is zero or
undefined is a local maximum or minimum. The same thing applies for
points of inflection. That is, it is not always true that if the second derivative
is 0 or undefined then automatically you have a point of inflection. It is
critical that f 00 changes sign at such a point in order to have a point of
inflection.

Example 4.3.5
Consider the function f (x) = x4 . Show that f 00 (0) = 0 but 0 is not a point
of inflection.

Solution.
The second derivative is given by the formula f 00 (x) = 12x2 . Clearly, f 00 (0) =
0. Since f 00 (x) ≥ 0, that is, f 00 (x) does not change sign then 0 is not a point
of inflection

Example 4.3.6
Graph a function with the following properties:
• f has a critical point at x = 4 and an inflection point at x = 8.

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• f 0 < 0 for x < 4 and f 0 > 0 for x > 4.
• f 00 > 0 for x < 8 and f 00 < 0 for x > 8.

Solution.
The graph is given in Figure 4.3.3

Figure 4.3.3

One can use concavity to decide whether a critical point is a maximum or a

minimum.

Second-Derivative Test
Let f be a continuous function such that f 0 (p) = 0.
• if f 00 (p) > 0 then f has a local minimum at p. See Figure 4.3.4.
• if f 00 (p) < 0 then f has a local maximum at p. See Figure 4.3.4.
• if f 00 (p) = 0 then the test fails. In this case, it is recommended that you
use the first derivative test.

Figure 4.3.4

Example 4.3.7
Use the second derivative test to find the local extrema of the function
f (x) = x3 − 9x2 − 48x + 52.

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Solution.
The second derivative of f (x) is given by f 00 (x) = 6(x − 3). The critical
numbers are −2 and 8. Since f 00 (−2) = −30 < 0, x = −2 is a local maximum.
Since f 00 (8) = 30 > 0, x = 8 is a local minimum

Example 4.3.8
Find the local extrema of the function f (x) = x4 .

Solution.
Let’s try and find the local extrema by using the second derivative test.
Since f 0 (x) = 4x3 , x = 0 is the only critical number. Since f 00 (x) = 12x2 ,
f 00 (0) = 0. So the second derivative test is inconclusive. Now, using the first
derivative test, we see that f 0 (x) changes sign from negative to positive at
x = 0. Thus, x = 0 is a local minimum