The University of Sydney

MOOC Introduction to Calculus

Notes for ‘Increasing and decreasing functions’

Important Ideas and Useful Facts:

(i) Increasing functions: A function y = f (x) is increasing if the y-values increase as the
x-values increase. Here, when we say that values increase, we are using the technical
meaning that values move to the right along the x-axis or upwards along the y-axis, in
each case, moving in the positive direction (regardless of the magnitude of the values).
If the function is increasing and its graph is a smooth curve, then the graph is sloping
upwards as one moves from left to right.
Recall that relative position to the left or right of the real number line is captured by the
< relation. More precisely, we say that f is increasing if, for any a and b in the domain
of f , we have
a < b =⇒ f (a) < f (b) .
Because this property is so important in applications, it is common to look for intervals
on the real line where the function becomes increasing, by restricting its domain to that
interval.
Clearly, the identity function y = x is increasing. More generally, any line with positive
slope is increasing.
The square function y = x2 is not increasing over R, but becomes increasing, for example,
if the domain is restricted to [0, ∞).
The cube function y = x3 is increasing on all of R.

(ii) Decreasing functions: A function y = f (x) is decreasing if the y-values decrease as the
x-values increase. Here, when we say that values decrease, we are using the technical
meaning that values move to the left along the x-axis or downwards along the y-axis, in
each case, moving in the negative direction (regardless of the magnitudes of the values).
If the function is decreasing and its graph is a smooth curve, then the graph is sloping
downwards as one moves from left to right.
A precise definition, using the < relation, is that f is decreasing if, for any a and b in the
domain of f , we have
a < b =⇒ f (a) > f (b) .
Clearly, the function y = −x is decreasing. More generally, any line with negative slope
is decreasing.
The square function y = x2 is not decreasing over R, but becomes decreasing, for example,
if the domain is restricted to (−∞, 0].
The negative cube function y = −x3 is decreasing on all of R.

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(iii) Invertibility: An increasing function is invertible and its inverse is also increasing.
For example, the natural exponential function is increasing and its inverse, the natural
logarithm function is also increasing, though its domain is restricted to the positive half
of the real line (0, ∞).
The restriction of the sine function y = sin x to the interval [− π2 , π2 ] is increasing, and its
inverse, the inverse sine function y = sin−1 x is also increasing, with domain [−1, 1].
The restriction of the tan function y = tan x to the interval (− π2 , π2 ) is increasing, and its
inverse, the inverse tan function y = tan−1 is also increasing, with domain all of R.
A decreasing function is invertible and its inverse is also decreasing.
For example, the restriction of the cosine function y = cos x to the interval [0, π] is
decreasing, and its inverse, the inverse cosine function y = cos−1 x is also decreasing, with
domain [−1, 1].

(iv) Reflection in the y-axis: If the graph of an increasing function is reflected in the y-axis
then we obtain the graph of a decreasing function, and vice-versa.
For example, y = ex is increasing (and represents exponential growth). The result of
reflecting its graph in the y-axis produces the function y = e−x , which is decreasing (and
represents exponential decay).

(v) Sign of the derivative: Consider a function y = f (x). If the derivative of f is positive over
some interval, then the function is increasing over that interval.
This makes sense intuitively. If, for example, y represents displacement of a car travelling
along a straight road at time x, and the derivative is positive, then the velocity is positive
and the car is always moving in the positive direction, corresponding to the function being
increasing.
If the derivative of f is negative over some interval, then the function is decreasing over
that interval.
Again, the car analogy is useful. If y represents the displacement of a car at time x and
the derivative is negative then the car would have negative velocity and be moving in
reverse, that is, in the negative direction, corresponding to the function being decreasing.

Examples and derivations:

1. We explain why reflecting an increasing function in the y-axis produces a decreasing

function. Suppose y = f (x) is increasing over some domain. Let y = g(x) be the function
corresponding to reflecting the graph of y = f (x) in the y-axis, so that

g(x) = f (−x)

for any input x for g. Suppose that a and b are inputs for g and a < b. Then −a and −b
are inputs for f and −b < −a, since multiplying by −1 reverses the inequality. Hence,
we have
g(b) = f (−b) < f (−a) = g(a) ,
since f is increasing. Thus g(a) > g(b), completing the verification that g is decreasing.
A similar argument shows that reflecting a decreasing function in the y-axis produces an
increasing function.

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2. We explain why an increasing function is invertible and why its inverse function must
also be increasing. Suppose that y = f (x) is increasing. If the horizontal line test fails
then there would be two inputs, say a and b such that a < b and f (a) = f (b), which
contradicts that f (a) < f (b). Hence the horizontal line test is satisfied and f is invertible.
We show that the inverse function f −1 is also increasing. Suppose c and d are inputs for
f −1 such that c < d. Our task is to show that f −1 (c) < f −1 (d). Put
a = f −1 (c) and b = f −1 (d) ,
so that f (a) = c and f (b) = d, by definition of the inverse function. If a = b then
c = f (a) = f (b) = d, contradicting that c < d. Hence a ̸= b. If b < a then f (b) < f (a),
since f is increasing, so that d = f (b) < f (a) = c, again contradicing that c < d. The
only alternative is that a < b, so that
f −1 (c) = a < b = f −1 (d) ,
completing the verification that f −1 is increasing.
A similar argument shows that a decreasing function is invertible and its inverse is also
decreasing. This also follows from the result about increasing functions, by reflecting
a given decreasing function in the y-axis, using the fact that the reflected function is
now increasing with an increasing inverse function; this new inverse function, in turn,
reflects in the x-axis, which it is easy to check produces a decreasing inverse function
corresponding to the original decreasing function.
3. Consider the function y = f (x) = x3 − 12x. Then
y ′ = 3x2 − 12 = 3(x2 − 4) = 3(x + 2)(x − 2) ,
which is positive if x > 2 and if x < −2, and negative if −2 < x < 2. Thus f is increasing
for x < −2, becomes decreasing for −2 < x < 2 and then becomes increasing again for
x > 2. This increasing-decreasing-increasing behaviour can be seen on the graph of f
below. Soon you will develop techniques to understand fully how to obtain such a graph
and all of its important features.
y
y = x3 − 12x

16

2
x
−2

−16

y = −x2
3