Topics of the presentation:Concavity and inflection points

Contex
• Concavity
• Criteria for concavity, convexity and inflexion
Concavity

• Consider a curve y=f(x) and any point P[c,f(c)].Draw the tangent at P.

• We suppose that this tangent is not parallel to Y-axis so that f’(c) is some finite number.

• Now there are three mutually exclusive possibilities to consider:-

Concavity
• A portion of the curve on both sides of P,however small it may be,lies above the tangent at P(i.e.,
towards the positive direction of Y-axis).In this case we say that the curve is concave upwards or
convex downwards at P(previous page to first figure).

• A portion of the curve on both sides of P,however small it may be,lies below the tangent at P(i.e.,
towards the negative direction of Y-axis).In this case we say that the curve is concave
downwards or convex upwards at P(previous page to second figure).

• The two portions of the curve on the two sides of P lie on different sides of the tangent at P(i.e.,
the curve crosses the tangent at P).In this case we say that P is a point of inflection on the
curve(previous page to third figure).
Concavity

• Thus,the above curve is concave upwards at every point between P1 and P2 and concave
downwards at every point between P2 and P3.
• P2 and P3 are the points of inflexion on the curve.
• From the above figure, we can see that the curve changes the direction of its bending from concavity
to convexity or vice versa as a point,moving along the curve ,passing through a point of inflexion.
• This property is also sometimes adopted as the definition of a point of inflexion.
Criteria for concavity, convexity and inflexion

• From different figure of the equations:-

Criteria for concavity, convexity and inflexion
Criteria for concavity, convexity and inflexion

• MQ>MR (Concave upwards)

• MQ<MR (Concave downloads)
• MQ>/<MR and MQ</>MR (Inflexion point is present)

• In other way we have to examine the behavior of RQ.

Criteria for concavity, convexity and inflexion

• If f’’(c) >0,then at point c ,curve is concave upwards.

• If f’’(c) <0,then at point c curve is concave downwards.

• If f’’(c) =0 but f’’’(c) is not equal to zero ,in such cases we can use general equation to find
concavity at C,

• let, f”(c)=f”’(c)=……..=fn-1(c)=0 but fn(c) is not equal to zero

• RQ =(hn/n!)fn(c+thetanh)
Thank you