DISCUSSION ON CRITICAL POINTS

• A function y = f (x) is said to be an increasing function of x if its value increases as x

increases.
• Similarly, it is a decreasing function of x if y decreases as x increases.
• The points where the slope is zero, the function is said to be stationary.
• The points where the slope is zero or unde ned are called critical points.
• The of the curve where the function changes from increasing to decreasing is called a
maximum point.
• Likewise, the point where the function changes from decreasing to increasing, is called a
minimum point.

If the function f (x) has a derivative for every value of x, we see geometrically that:
1. f (x) is increasing at x = a, when f′(a) is positive.
2. f (x) is decreasing at x = a, when f′(a) is
negative.
3. f (x) is a maximum at x = a, when f′(a) = 0 and
f′(x) changes sign from + to − as x increases
through a. y = 7 + 3x − 2x 2
4. f (x) is a minimum at x = a, when f′(a) = 0 and
f′(x) changes sign from − to + as x increases
through a.

DISCUSSION PROBLEMS
SAMPLE PROBLEM 1. In each of the following, nd the range of x for which y (a) increases, (b)
decreases, as x increases.
1. y = x 2 − 6x − 7
2. y = 9 − 5x − 2x 2
3. y = x 3 + 3x 2 + 3x
4. y = 3x 4 − 8x 3 + 5
5. y = x 4 − 2x 2
6. y = x 2 + x −2

SAMPLE PROBLEM 2. Find the maximum and minimum points of the following curves:
1 3 1 2
1. y= x − x − 2x + 2
3 2
16
2. y = x2 +
x
3. y = x 2 − 4x − 1
4. y = x 3 − 9x 2 + 15x − 5
5. y = x 3 − 3x 2 + 4
6. y = 2x 3 − x 2 + 3x − 1
7. y = (x + 1)(x − 1)2
8. y = x 4 + 4x
9. y = 3x 4 − 16x 3 + 24x 2
10. y = x 5 − 5x 3 − 20x − 2






fi
fi
11. y = x 3(2 − x)2
12. y = x + x −1
13. y = 2x −2 + 3x −1 − 2
1
14. y = x −
x
1
15. y = x − 2x 2 + 2