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Understanding Inflection Points

Inflection points occur where a function changes concavity. To find an inflection point, take the second derivative and set it equal to zero to find points where concavity may change. However, you must also check the concavity on both sides of that point to confirm the concavity actually changes, making it an inflection point. For the function f(x)=x^3, the inflection point is at x=0, as the concavity is up at x=1 and down at x=-1. For f(x)=x^4, x=0 is a local minimum, not an inflection point, as the concavity does not change sides of x=

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38 views5 pages

Understanding Inflection Points

Inflection points occur where a function changes concavity. To find an inflection point, take the second derivative and set it equal to zero to find points where concavity may change. However, you must also check the concavity on both sides of that point to confirm the concavity actually changes, making it an inflection point. For the function f(x)=x^3, the inflection point is at x=0, as the concavity is up at x=1 and down at x=-1. For f(x)=x^4, x=0 is a local minimum, not an inflection point, as the concavity does not change sides of x=

Uploaded by

Brooke Cline
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

5/25/2017 InflectionPoints

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InflectionPoints
([Link]
secondderivativetestsbeforegoingon.)

[Link]
derivativeandconcavedowncorrespondstoanegativesecondderivative,thenwhenthefunctionchangesfrom
concaveuptoconcavedown(orviseversa)[Link]
[Link]'[Link]
concavityactuallychangesatthatpoint.

Example1withf(x)=x3.
Let'[Link](x)=x3,findtheinflectionpoint(s).(Mightaswellfind
anylocalmaximumandlocalminimumsaswell.)

Startwithgettingthefirstderivative:

f'(x)=3x2.

Thenthesecondderivativeis:

f"(x)=6x.

Nowsetthesecondderivativeequaltozeroandsolvefor"x"tofindpossibleinflectionpoints.

6x=0

x=0.

Wecanseethatifthereisaninflectionpointithastobeatx=[Link]=0isan
inflectionpoint?[Link]
sideofx=[Link]'susex=1andx=[Link]=1,
thesecondderivativegives:

f"(1)=6

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5/25/2017 InflectionPoints

andthefunctionisconcavedownatx=[Link]=1weget:

f"(1)=6

whichmeansthefunctionisconcaveupatx=1.

Thuswecanseethatthefunctionhasdifferentconcavitiesoneithersideofx=0andtheinflectionpointisat
x=[Link]
actuallychanges.

Let'[Link]
criticalpoints.

f'(x)=3x2

3x2=0

x=0

Weonlyhaveonecriticalpoint,x=[Link]?Let'stryusingthesecondderivativetest.

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5/25/2017 InflectionPoints

f"(x)=6x

f"(0)=6(0)

f"(0)=0.

Wellthat'[Link]'t
[Link]'[Link]'strythefirstderivative
test.

Tryusingx=1andx=1fornumbersoneithersideofourcriticalpointx=[Link].

f'(1)=3(1)2

f'(1)=3.

f'(1)=3(1)2

f'(1)=3.

Sincethederivativeispositiveineithersideofthecriticalpoint,thefunctionisincreasingonbothsideofthe
criticalpointandthereisnolocalmaximumorlocalminimum.

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Example2withf(x)=x4.
Example2:

Let'slookatf(x)=[Link](s).

f(x)=x4

f'(x)=4x3=0

x3=0

x=0

Theonlycriticalpointisatx=[Link]'stryusingthesecondderivativetotesttheconcavitytoseeifitisalocal
maximumoralocalminimum.

F"(x)=12x2

f"(0)=12(0)2=0

Sincethesecondderivativeiszero,thefunctionisneitherconcaveupnorconcavedownatx=[Link]
stillbealocalmaximumoralocalminimumanditevencouldbeaninflectionpoint.

Let'[Link]=0.
Let'stestx=1andx=1inthesecondderivative.

f"(1)=12(1)2=12

f"(1)=12(1)2=12

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Sincethesecondderivativeispositiveoneithersideofx=0,thentheconcavityisuponbothsidesandx=0is
notaninflectionpoint(theconcavitydoesnotchange).Wellitcouldstillbealocalmaximumoralocal
minimumsolet'susethefirstderivativetesttofindout.

f'(1)=4(1)3=4

f'(1)=4(1)3=4

Sincethefunctiongoesfromdecreasingtoincreasingoneithersideofx=0,wecanseethatx=0isalocal
minimum.

Eventhoughf(x)=x4appearstobeconcaveupeverywhere,itismomentarily"flat"atx=0sincethesecond
derivativeiszeroatx=0.

Backto34A Backto34B

[Link] 5/5

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