Example : Graph the function f given

f (x)  x 3  3x 2  9x  13,
Intercepts:
X=0 , y=-13
Asymptote: none
Symmetry: none
Critical points:

f (x)  3x 2  6x  9,
f (x)  6x  6.
 solve f (x) = 0.
3x 2  6x  9  0
x 2  2x  3  0
(x  3)(x  1)  0
x3  0 x 1  0
or
x  3 x  1

 Thus, x = –3 and x = 1 are critical values.

f (3)  6(3)  6  18  6  12  0 : Relative maximum

f (1)  6(1)  6  6  6  12  0 : Relative minimum
 Lastly, find the values of f (x) at –3 and 1.

f (3)  (3)3  3(3)2  9(3)  13  14

f (1)  (1)3  3(1)2  9(1)  13  18

 So, (–3, 14) is a maximum and (1, –18) is a

 minimum.
 Then, by calculating and plotting a few more
points,
 we can make a sketch of f (x), as shown below.
 2
x
Sketch the graph of: f ( x) 
x 1
A. Domain = {x | x + 1 > 0}
= {x | x > -1}
= (-1, ∞)
B. The x- and y-intercepts are both 0.

C. Symmetry: None
x2
D. Since lim   , there is no horizontal
x  x 1
asymptote.

the line x = -1 is a vertical asymptote

E. f '( x)  2 x x  1  x 2
1/(2 x  1) x(3 x  4)

x 1 2( x  1)3/ 2
We see that f’(x) = 0 when x = 0 (notice that -4/3 is not in the
domain of f).

So, the only critical number is 0.

2( x  1)3/ 2 (6 x  4)  (3 x 2  4)3( x  1)1/ 2

f ''( x) 
4( x  1)3
3x 2  8 x  8

4( x  1)5/ 2

f(0) = 0 is minimum
 2
Find the points of intersection of y  x and
y  3  2x

y  x2 There are 2 points

of intersection

y  3  2x

We again solve the equations simultaneously but this

time there will be 2 pairs of x- and y-values
e.g. 1 y  x2       (1)
y  3  2 x       (2)
Since the y-values are equal we can eliminate y by
equating the right hand sides of the equations:
x 2  3  2 x This is a quadratic equation, so
2 we get zero on one side and try
 x  2x  3  0 to factorise:
 ( x  1)( x  3)  0  x 1 or x  3
To find the y-values, we use the linear equation,
which in this example is equation (2)
x  1  y  3  2(1)  y  1
x  3  y  3  2(3)  y  9
The points of intersection are (1, 1) and (-3, 9)
Sometimes we need to rearrange the linear equation
before eliminating y
e.g. 2 y  x2  3       (1)
y  3 x  1       (2)
Rearranging (2) gives y  3 x  1       ( 2a )
2
Eliminating y: x  3  3x  1
y  3 x  1 (4, 13)
 x2  3x  4  0
 ( x  1)( x  4)  0
 x  1 or x4 ( 1,  2) y  x2  3

Substituting in (2a): x  1  y  2
x  4  y  13
 Problem Set 1 MT

Sketch the graph of the following:

3
 
1. 𝑓 ( 𝑥 )=𝑥 − 3 𝑥 +2 2. f (x) = 4x2 – x4.

3. f (x) = x 4 – x3 – 2x2. 4. f(x) = –2x3 + 5x2 – x + 1

Find the point of intersections of the given curves:

5. y= x2 – 4 and y = 2x - 1 6. y = x2 - 4x + 3 and the x-axis

7. y = x3 and y = x 8. x = y2 - 2 , and x = y