Increasing and Decreasing

Functions, Min and Max,

Concavity

studying properties of the function

using derivatives
Increasing and Decreasing
Functions
characterizing function’s
behaviour
Definition: (I = [, ], (, ), [, ), (, ]) f(x2)

f (x) is increasing on I if for each f(x2) > f(x1) if x 2 > x 1

pair x1, x2 ∈ I f(x1)

I
x1 x2

x2 > x1 ⇒ f (x2) > f (x1)

 Definition: (I = [, ], (, ), [, ), (, ]) f(x2)

f (x) is increasing on I if for each f(x2) > f(x1) if x 2 > x 1

pair x1, x2 ∈ I f(x1)

I
x1 x2

x2 > x1 ⇒ f (x2) > f (x1)

Definition: f(x1)

f (x) is decreasing on I if for f(x2) < f(x1) if x2 > x1

each pair x1, x2 ∈ I f(x2)

I
x1 x2

x2 > x1 ⇒ f (x2) < f (x1)

Increasing/decreasing = strict monotonicity
 Definition: (I = [, ], (, ), [, ), (, ]) f(x2) $ f(x1) if x 2 > x1

f(x2)
f (x) is non-decreasing on I if for f(x1)

each pair x1, x2 ∈ I I

x1 x2

x2 > x1 ⇒ f (x2) ≥ f (x1)

Definition: f(x1)

f (x) is non-increasing on I if for f(x2)

f(x2) # f(x1) if x2 > x1

each pair x1, x2 ∈ I I

x1 x2

x2 > x1 ⇒ f (x2) ≤ f (x1)

Non-decreasing/increasing = non-strict monotonicit
 y=sin(x)

Example 1. Function sin(x) - π_

2
π_
2
3π
__
2

is strictly monotonic on each

interval

[−π/2 + kπ, π/2 + kπ], k = 0, ±1, ±2, ±3, . . .

 y=sin(x)

Example 1. Function sin(x) - π_

2
π_
2
3π
__
2

is strictly monotonic on each

interval

[−π/2 + kπ, π/2 + kπ], k = 0, ±1, ±2, ±3, . . .

It is increasing on

[−π/2 + kπ, π/2 + kπ], k = 0, ±2, ±4, ±6, . . .

 y=sin(x)

Example 1. Function sin(x) - π_

2
π_
2
3π
__
2

is strictly monotonic on each

interval

[−π/2 + kπ, π/2 + kπ], k = 0, ±1, ±2, ±3, . . .

It is increasing on

[−π/2 + kπ, π/2 + kπ], k = 0, ±2, ±4, ±6, . . .

It is decreasing on

[−π/2 + kπ, π/2 + kπ], k = ±1, ±3, ±5, . . .

 y=tan(x)

π_ 3π
- 3π
__ - π_ __
2 2 2 2

Example 2. Function tan(x) is

increasing on each interval

[−π/2 + kπ, π/2 + kπ], k = 0, ±1, ±2, ±3, . . .

 y=tan(x)

π_ 3π
- 3π
__ - π_ __
2 2 2 2

Example 2. Function tan(x) is

increasing on each interval

[−π/2 + kπ, π/2 + kπ], k = 0, ±1, ±2, ±3, . . .

Note, that you still can’t say tan(x) increases

everywhere!
 y=tan(x)

π_ 3π
- 3π
__ - π_ __
2 2 2 2

Example 2. Function tan(x) is

increasing on each interval

[−π/2 + kπ, π/2 + kπ], k = 0, ±1, ±2, ±3, . . .

Note, that you still can’t say tan(x) increases

everywhere!
Indeed, for x1 = π/4 and x2 = 3π/4,

x2 > x1 but tan(x2) = −1 < tan(x1) = 1

Derivative and monotonicity
What derivative can tell
about the function?
 Theorem A. If f (x) is increasing on I, and f 0(x)
exists, then f 0(x) ≥ 0 on I.
 Theorem A. If f (x) is increasing on I, and f 0(x)
exists, then f 0(x) ≥ 0 on I.
Proof. Since f (x) is increasing,
f (t) − f (x)
> 0, ∀x, t ∈ I f(t)

t−x t-x<0
f(t)-f(x)>0
f(x)
t-x>0
f(t)-f(x)<0
Therefore, f(t)

t x t
I
f (t) − f (x)
f (x) = lim ≥0
t→x t−x
 Theorem A. If f (x) is increasing on I, and f 0(x)
exists, then f 0(x) ≥ 0 on I.
Proof. Since f (x) is increasing,
f (t) − f (x)
> 0, ∀x, t ∈ I f(t)

t−x t-x<0
f(t)-f(x)>0
f(x)
t-x>0
f(t)-f(x)<0
Therefore, f(t)

t x t
I
f (t) − f (x)
f (x) = lim ≥0
t→x t−x

Note that “≥” can not be replaced with “>”!

(f (x) = x3 is increasing everywhere but f 0(0) = 0).
Theorem B. If f 0(x) > 0 on I, f (x) increases.
Theorem B. If f 0(x) > 0 on I, f (x) increases.

f(x2)
Requires Lagrange’s theorem:
∀x1, x2 ∈ I, there exists value slope=f '(c)

c between x1 and x2 such that f(x1)

I
x1 c x2

f (x2) − f (x1) = f 0(c)(x2 − x1)

If f 0(c) > 0 on I, x2 > x1⇒f (x2) > f (x1)
 Theorem B. If f 0(x) > 0 on I, f (x) increases.

f(x2)
Requires Lagrange’s theorem:
∀x1, x2 ∈ I, there exists value slope=f '(c)

c between x1 and x2 such that f(x1)

I
x1 c x2

f (x2) − f (x1) = f 0(c)(x2 − x1)

If f 0(c) > 0 on I, x2 > x1⇒f (x2) > f (x1)

Note: f (x) is increasing ⇒ f 0(x) ≥ 0

But f 0(x) ≥ 0 6⇒ f (x) is increasing.
 Theorem A. If f (x) is decreasing on I, and f 0(x)
exists, then f 0(x) ≤ 0 on I.
Theorem B. If f 0(x) < 0 on I, f (x) decreases.
EXAMPLES
 f 0(x) > 0(f 0(x) < 0) ⇒ is increasing (decreasing)

EXAMPLE 3. Find where f (x) = x2 − 5x + 1 is

increasing and where it is decreasing.
 f 0(x) > 0(f 0(x) < 0) ⇒ is increasing (decreasing)

EXAMPLE 3. Find where f (x) = x2 − 5x + 1 is

increasing and where it is decreasing.
Consider
0
f (x) = 2x − 5
f 0(x) > 0 if x > 5/2, f 0(x) < 0 if x < 5/2. By
Thm. B:
5
f (x) is increasing for x >
2
5
f (x) is decreasing for x <
2
 f 0(x) > 0(f 0(x) < 0) ⇒ is increasing (decreasing)

EXAMPLE 4. Find where f (x) = (x2 −3x)/(x+1)

is increasing and where it is decreasing.
 f 0(x) > 0(f 0(x) < 0) ⇒ is increasing (decreasing)

EXAMPLE 4. Find where f (x) = (x2 −3x)/(x+1)

is increasing and where it is decreasing.
Consider
0 (x + 3)(x − 1)
f (x) =
(x + 1)2
f 0(x) > 0 for x < −3 and x > 1 (increasing)
0
f (x) < 0 for −3 < x < −1 and −1 < x < 1
(decreasing)
 Concavity.
what the second derivative
can tell about the function?
Two way of increasing:

f(x2) f(x2)

f(x1) f(x1)
I I
x1 x2 x1 x2
Two way of increasing:

f(x2) f(x2)

f(x1) f(x1)
I I
x1 x2 x1 x2

How to distinguish these two cases?

 f(x2)

Definition f (x) is concave up on

f(x1)
I if f 0(x) increases on I. x1
I
x2
 f(x2)

Definition f (x) is concave up on

f(x1)
I if f 0(x) increases on I. x1
I
x2

f(x2)

Definition f (x) is concave down

f(x1)
on I if f 0(x) decreases on I. x1
I
x2
 Second derivative and Concavity
00 0
f (x) > 0 ⇒ f (x) is increasing = Concave up
f 00(x) < 0 ⇒ f 0(x) is decreasing = Concave down
Concavity changes = Inflection point
 Second derivative and Concavity
00 0
f (x) > 0 ⇒ f (x) is increasing = Concave up
f 00(x) < 0 ⇒ f 0(x) is decreasing = Concave down
Concavity changes = Inflection point

Example 5. Where the graph of f (x) = x3 − 1 is

concave up, concave down?
00 00
Consider f (x) = 2x. f (x) < 0 for x < 0,
concave down; f 00(x) > 0 for x > 0, concave up.
 f 00(x) > 0(f 00(x) < 0) ⇒ concave up(down)

EXAMPLE 6. Find where the graph of f (x) =

x − sin(x) is concave up, concave down?
 f 00(x) > 0(f 00(x) < 0) ⇒ concave up(down)

EXAMPLE 6. Find where the graph of f (x) =

x − sin(x) is concave up, concave down?

0 00
f (x) = 1 − cos(x), f (x) = sin(x)
f 00(x) > 0 for x ∈ [kπ, (k + 1)π], k =
0, ±1, ±2, . . . (concave up)
f 00(x) < 0 for x ∈ [(k − 1)π, kπ], k =
0, ±1, ±2, . . . (concave down)
kπ, k = 0, ±1, ±2, . . . inflection points
 Minima and Maxima.
critical points, first derivative test
second derivative test.
 Definition. f (c) is a local maximum value of
f (x) if there exists an interval (a, b) containing c
such that ∀x ∈ (a, b), f (c) ≥ f (x).
Definition. f (c) is a local minimum value of f (x)
if there exists an interval (a, b) containing c such
that ∀x ∈ (a, b), f (c) ≤ f (x).
end point
loc max loc max
f '(x) DNE f '(x)=0 loc max
loc max
loc max
f '(x) DNE loc min
f '(x)=0
loc min f '(x)=0

loc min
end point loc min
f '(x)=0
loc min f '(x)=0
 Critical Point Theorem. If f (c) is a local min
(max), then c is a critical point, that is
a) an end point
0
b) a stationary point, that is f (c) = 0
0
c) a singular point, that is f (c) does not exists
(a) and c) are proved by examples.)
end point
loc max loc max
f '(x) DNE f '(x)=0 loc max
loc max
loc max
f '(x) DNE loc min
f '(x)=0
loc min f '(x)=0

loc min
end point loc min
f '(x)=0
loc min f '(x)=0
 f(c)
Proof b) If f (c) is max, then f(t)-f(c)<0 f(t)-f(c)<0

f (t) − f (c) f(t)

t-c<0 t-c>0
< 0, x > c,
t−c
t c t
I

f (t) − f (c)
> 0, x < c,
t−c
Or,
f (t) − f (c) f (t) − f (c)
lim ≤ 0, lim ≥ 0,
t→c+ t−c t→c− t−c
0 f (t) − f (c)
f (c) = lim =0
t→c t−c
 First Derivative Test
f 0(x) > 0 to the left, f 0(x) < 0 to the right of c ⇒
increases to the left, decreases to the right of c ⇒
max at x = c.
f 0(x) < 0 to the left, f 0(x) > 0 to the right of c ⇒
decreases to the left, increases to the right of c ⇒
min at x = c.
f(c) min
f(t)-f(c)<0 f(t)-f(c)>0
max
f(t)
f(t) t-c<0 t-c>0
t-c<0 t-c>0

f(c)
t c t t c t
I I
 Second Derivative Test
f 00(c) < 0 and f 0(c) = 0 ⇒
f 0(x) is decreasing near c and passing 0 at c ⇒
f 0(x) > 0 to the left, f 0(x) < 0 to the right of c ⇒
increases to the left, decreases to the right of c ⇒
max at x = c.
00 0
f (c) > 0 and f (c) = 0 ⇒
f 0(x) is increasing near c and passing 0 at c ⇒
f 0(x) < 0 to the left, f 0(x) > 0 to the right of c ⇒
decreases to the left, increases to the right of c ⇒
min at x = c.
EXAMPLES
 EXAMPLE 7. Find where the graph of
f (x) = x ln(x) is increasing, decreasing, concave
up, concave down, has max, min?
 EXAMPLE 7. Find where the graph of
f (x) = x ln(x) is increasing, decreasing, concave
up, concave down, has max, min?

0 00 1
f (x) = ln(x) + 1, f (x) =
x
f 0(x) < 0 for 1 < x < 1/e (decreasing), f 0(x) >
0 for x > 1/e (increasing)
00
f (x) > 0 for x > 0, (concave up), no inflection
pts.
min at x = 1/e (first derivative test)
 EXAMPLE 8. Find where the graph of f (x) =
1/(x2 + 1) is increasing, decreasing, concave up,
concave down, has max, min?
 EXAMPLE 8. Find where the graph of f (x) =
1/(x2 + 1) is increasing, decreasing, concave up,
concave down, has max, min?
2
0 2x 00 3x −1
f (x) = − 2 , f (x) = 2 2
(x + 1)2 (x + 1)3
f 0(x) > 0 for x < 0 (increasing), f 0(x) < 0 for
x > 0 (decreasing) max at x = 0 (first derivative
test)
00
√ √
f (x) > 0 for x < −1/ 3 √ and x > 1/√3,
(concave up), f 00(x) <
√ 0 for −1/
√ 3 < x < 1/ 3,
(concave down), −1/ 3, 1/ 3 are inflection pts.