Chapter 3: Applications

of Differentiation
Lecture 1
By
Assoc.Prof. Mai Duc Thanh
 Outline
1. Maximum and Minimum Values
2. The Mean Value Theorem
3. How Derivatives Affect the Shape of a Graph
4. Indeterminate Forms and l’Hospital’s Rule
5. Summary of Curve Sketching

9/11/2016
Assoc.Prof. Mai Duc Thanh
 1. Maximum and Minimum Values
A function f has an absolute (global) maximum at
x = c if f ( x)  f (c) for all x in the domain of f.

A function f has a absolute (global) minimum at

x = c if f ( x)  f (c) for all x in the domain of f.

Absolute
Maximum

Absolute
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Assoc.Prof. Mai Duc Thanh
 Local Maximum and Minimum Values
A function f has a local (or, relative) maximum at
x = c if there exists an open interval (r, s) containing
c such that f ( x)  f (c) for all x between r and s.
A function f has a local (relative) minimum at x = c
if there exists an open interval (r, s) containing c
such that f ( x)  f (c) for all x between r and s.

Local
Maximums

Local
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Assoc.Prof. Mai Duc Thanh
 Extrema

• The (local) maximum and minimum values of f are

called the (local) extreme values of f

• Theorem (Existence of Extrema) If f is continuous on

a closed interval [a, b], then f attains an absolute
maximum value f(c) and an absolute minimum value
f(d) at some numbers c and d in [a, b]

9/11/2016
Assoc.Prof. Mai Duc Thanh
 Critical Points of f
A critical point c of a function f is a point in the
domain of f where
-either f (c)  0 (stationary point)
-or f (c) does not exist (singular point)

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Assoc.Prof. Mai Duc Thanh
 Critical Points and Local Extrema

Theorem: If f has a local maximum or

minimum at c, and if f’(c) exists, then
f’(c)=0. This means that c is a critical point

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Assoc.Prof. Mai Duc Thanh
 The Closed Interval Method

To find the absolute max and min values of a

continuous function f on a closed interval [a, b]:
1. Find values of f at critical numbers in (a, b),
2. Evaluate f(a), f(b),
3. The largest values from Steps 1 and 2 is the absolute
maximum value, the smallest of these values is the
absolute mininum value.

9/11/2016
Assoc.Prof. Mai Duc Thanh
 Example
 1 
Find the absolute extrema of f ( x)  x  3x on   , 4 .
3 2

 2 
f ( x)  3x  6 x  3x( x  2)
2

Critical values at x = 0, 2
f (0)  0
f (2)  4 Absolute Min.
Evaluate  1 7
f    
 2 8
f  4   16 Absolute Max.

9/11/2016
Assoc.Prof. Mai Duc Thanh
 2. Mean-Value Theorem
• The Mean Value Theorem: If f is continuous
on [a, b] and differentiable in (a, b), then there
exists a number c in(a, b) such that
f (b)  f (a)
f '(c) 
ba
or y=f(x)
f (b)  f (a)  f '(c)(b  a)

a c b
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Assoc.Prof. Mai Duc Thanh
Fermat’s Theorem: If f is defined on an interval (a, b)
and achieves a maximum (or minimum) value at the
point c in (a, b), and if f’(c) exists, then f’(c)=0.

• Proof:
x  (a, b) : f ( x)  f (c)  0
f ( x )  f (c ) f ( x )  f (c )
For c  x  b,  0  f '(c)  lim 0
xc x c  xc
f ( x )  f (c ) f ( x )  f (c )
For a  x  c,  0  f '(c)  lim 0
xc x c  xc
 f '(c)  0

9/11/2016
Assoc.Prof. Mai Duc Thanh
 y=f(x)

Rolle’s Theorem c
a b
Let f be continuous on [a, b] and differentiable in (a, b). If
f (a)  f (b), then there exists a point c  (a, b) such that f '(c)  0
Proof: If f ( x)  f (a), x [a, b]  f '( x)  0, x  (a, b)
x  (a, b) : f ( x)  f (a). Assume that f ( x)  f (a)
Max-Min Theorem  f attains max at c  [a, b]
f (c)  f ( x)  f (a)  f (b)  c  a, b  c  (a, b)
Fermat's Theorem implies f '(c)  0.
 Proof of Mean-Value Theorem
Set
f (b)  f (a)
g ( x )  f ( x )  f (a )  ( x  a)
ba
It holds that g ( a)  g (b)  0
By Rolle's Theorem c  ( a, b) such that g '(c)  0
f (b)  f (a)
g '( x)  f '( x) 
ba
f (b)  f (a)
 f '(c) 
ba y=f(x)

9/11/2016 a c b
 3. How Derivatives Affect the
Shape of a graph

9/11/2016
Assoc.Prof. Mai Duc Thanh
 Increasing and Decreasing
Functions
If f x   0 for each value of x in an interval a, b ,
then f is increasing on a, b .

If f x   0 for each value of x in an interval a, b ,

then f is decreasing on a, b .

If f x   0 for each value of x in an interval a, b ,

then f is constant on a, b .

9/11/2016
Assoc.Prof. Mai Duc Thanh
 The First Derivative Test
Determine the sign of the derivative of
f to the left and right of the critical
point.
left right
  f(c) is a local maximum
  f(c) is a local minimum
No change No relative extremum

9/11/2016
Assoc.Prof. Mai Duc Thanh
 The First Derivative Test
Ex. Find all the relative extrema of f ( x)  x3  6 x 2  1.

f ( x)  3x  12 x  0
2

3x( x  4)  0
Local max. x  0, 4
Local min.
f (0) = 1 f (4) = -31

f + - +
0 4

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Assoc.Prof. Mai Duc Thanh
 Concavity

Definition: If the graph of f lies above all of its tangents on

an interval I, then it is called concave upward on I. If the
graph of f lies below all of its tangents on I, it is called
concave downward on I.

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Assoc.Prof. Mai Duc Thanh
 Concavity Test
Let f be a twice differentiable function on (a, b).
1. f is concave upward on (a, b) if f 
is increasing on (a, b). That is, f ( x)  0
for each value of x in (a, b).

2. f is concave downward on (a, b) if f 

is decreasing on (a, b). That is, f ( x)  0
for each value of x in (a, b).

concave upward concave downward

9/11/2016
Assoc.Prof. Mai Duc Thanh
 Inflection Point
A point on the graph of f at which concavity changes
is called an inflection point.

To find inflection points, find any point, c, in the

domain where f ( x)  0 or f ( x) is undefined.
If f changes sign from the left to the right of c,
then (c,f (c)) is an inflection point of f.
9/11/2016
Assoc.Prof. Mai Duc Thanh
 Second Derivative Test
Second Derivative Test: Suppose f” is
continuous near c
a) If f’(c)=0 and f”(c)>0 then f has a local
minimum at c
b) If f’(c)=0 and f”(c)<0 then f has a local
maximum at c

9/11/2016
Assoc.Prof. Mai Duc Thanh
 Example
• Investigate the following function (Find
domain, local extrema, intervals where f is
increasing, and decreasing, intervals where f is
concave downward and concave upward, and
inflection points):

f ( x)  x  6 x  9 x  1
3 2

9/11/2016
Assoc.Prof. Mai Duc Thanh
 4. Indeterminate Forms and
l’Hospital’s Rule

9/11/2016
Assoc.Prof. Mai Duc Thanh
 L’Hospital’s Rule
If f and g are two differentiable functions
such that substituting x = a in the
expression
f ( x) 0 
results in or , then
g ( x) 0 

f ( x) f ( x)
lim = lim
x a g ( x ) x a g ( x)

9/11/2016
Assoc.Prof. Mai Duc Thanh
 L’Hospital’s Rule

x2  6 x  5 0
Ex. xlim Notice form
5 x 2  25 0

2x  6
 lim L’Hospital’s
x 5 2 x
Rule
4 2
 
10 5
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Assoc.Prof. Mai Duc Thanh
 Notes
• Verify first the conditions of Indeterminate Forms
• L’Hospital’s Rule is also valid for one-sided limits
and for limits at infinity or negative infinity; that is,
“x a ” can be replaced by any of the following
symbols: x a+, x a-, x∞, x-∞

9/11/2016
Assoc.Prof. Mai Duc Thanh
 Indeterminate Products and
Difference
• Indeterminate Products:
lim xa f ( x)  0, and lim xa g ( x)  
then we have lim xa f ( x) g ( x) has the form 0.∞
• Indeterminate Difference: If
limxa f ( x)  , and lim xa g ( x)  

then lim xa ( f ( x)  g ( x)) has the form   

9/11/2016
Assoc.Prof. Mai Duc Thanh
 Indeterminate Powers
Several indeterminate forms arise from the limit
lim [ f ( x)]g ( x )
x a

1. lim f ( x)  0 lim g ( x)  0 type 00

x a x a
2. lim f ( x)   lim g ( x)  0 type 0
x a x a

3. lim f ( x)  1 lim g ( x)   type 1

x a x a
Each of these cases can be treated by taking natural logarithm
y  [ f ( x)]g ( x )  ln y  g ( x) ln f ( x)
or by writing the function as an exponential: [ f ( x)]g ( x )  e g ( x )ln f ( x )
In either method we are led to the indeterminate product
g ( x) ln f ( x) of type 0.
 Example
Calculate lim (1  sin 4 x) cot x 
x 0 
1
Solution:
y  (1  sin 4 x)  ln y  cot x ln(1  sin 4 x)
cot x

4cos 4 x
ln(1  sin 4 x)
lim ln y  lim  lim 1  sin 4 x  4
x 0  x 0  tan x x 0  1
cos 2 x
lim ln y
lim y  lim e ln y
e x0
e 4
x 0 x 0 
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Assoc.Prof. Mai Duc Thanh
 Two Basic Limits
The following results can be obtained using
l’Hospital rule
sin x ln(1  x )
1) lim =1 2 ) lim 1
x 0 x x 0 x
 Example 3
• Find the limit

tan x  sin x
lim
x0 x3
 Solution

We have
tan x  sin x sin x(1  cos x )
lim 3
 lim
x 0 x x3 .cos x
x 0

1 sin x 1  cos x
 lim . .
x0 cos x x x2
1 1
 1.1.  .
2 2
 x x
 1  1
4) Show that lim  1    lim 1    e
x 
 x  x  x

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Assoc.Prof. Mai Duc Thanh
 Exercise 5
• Find 1
 1  tan x  sin 3 x
lim  
x 0 1  sin x
 
 tan x  sin x
Solution u
1  sin x
 0 as x  0

ln(1  u )
lim 1
u 0 u
1 1  1 tan x 
It holds that 1  tan x  sin3 x  e sin 3
x
.ln
 1sin x 
 1  sin x 
 

 tan x  sin x 
ln  1 
1  1  tan x  1  1  sin x  tan x  sin x
lim ln    lim . .
3
x0 sin x 3
 1  sin x  x0 sin x tan x  sin x 1  sin x
1  sin x

tan x  sin x 1 tan x  sin x

 lim .  lim
x 0 sin 3 x 1  sin x x0 sin 3 x
tan x  sin x x3 1
 lim . 
x 0 x3 3
sin x 2
 Exercises
• Find the limit. Use l’Hospital’s Rule. If l’Hospital’s
Rule doesn’t apply, explain why.
cos mx  cos nx ln ln x
1) lim x0 2
, lim x
x x
x 2 x
2) lim x , lim x x e
ln(1  2e )
x

bx
 a
3) lim x0 x sin x
, lim x 1  
 x
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Assoc.Prof. Mai Duc Thanh
5. Summary of Curve Sketching
A. Domain
B. Intercepts
C. Symmetry
D. Asymptotes
E. Intervals of Increase or Decrease
F. Maximum and minimum values
G. Concavity and Inflection Points
H. Sketch the Curve

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Assoc.Prof. Mai Duc Thanh
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Assoc.Prof. Mai Duc Thanh
 f "( x)  0, x  1

H.

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Assoc.Prof. Mai Duc Thanh
 Slant Asymptotes
Some curves have asymptotes that are oblique, that is, neither
horizontal nor vertical. If

lim[ f ( x)  (mx  b)]  0

x 

then the line y= mx + b is called a slant asymptote

The vertical distance between

the curve y=f(x) and the line
y=mx+b approaches 0

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Assoc.Prof. Mai Duc Thanh
 Homework of Chapter 3
• Section 3.1 (Maximum and Minimum Values): 6, 34, 38
• Section 3.3 (How Derivatives Affect the Shape of a Graph):
12, 18, 47
• Section 6.8 (Indeterminate Forms and L’Hospital’s Rule): 18,
21, 38
• Section 3.5 (Summary of Curve Sketching): 12, 16, 25
• Section 3.7 (Optimization Problems): 12, 14, 24
• Section 3.8 (Newton’s Method): 10, 16, 24
• Deadline: 4 weeks

9/11/2016
Assoc.Prof. Mai Duc Thanh