21-114: Calculus for Architecture

Homework #5 Solutions
December 9, 2004
Mike Picollelli

§4.3 #14. Let

x2
f (x) = .
x2 + 3

(a) Find the intervals on which f is increasing and decreasing.

Solution: To do this, we note that f is increasing exactly where f 0 (x) > 0, and f is
decreasing exactly where f 0 (x) < 0, so we first calculate f 0 (x):

(x2 + 3)(2x) − (x2 )(2x) 6x

f 0 (x) = =
(x2 + 3)2 (x2 + 3)2

by the Quotient Rule. Since its denominator is positive for all x, f 0 (x) has the same sign as
its numerator, 6x. Therefore
0
f 0 (x) > 0 ⇐⇒ 6x > 0 ⇐⇒ x > = 0,
6
and hence f is increasing on the interval (0, ∞). Similarly,
0
f 0 (x) < 0 ⇐⇒ 6x < 0 ⇐⇒ x < = 0,
6
so f is decreasing on the interval (−∞, 0).

(b) Find the local maximum and minimum values of f .

Solution: Local extrema occur at points where f 0 (x) = 0:

6x
f 0 (x) = = 0 ⇐⇒ 6x = 0 ⇐⇒ x = 0,
(x2 + 3)2

so the only possible local maximum/minimum occurs at x = 0. However, from (a) we know
that f 0 (x) < 0 for x < 0 and f 0 (x) > 0 for x > 0, so by the First Derivative Test, f has a
local minimum at x = 0, of value f (0) = 0, and f doesn’t have a local maximum.
(c) Find the intervals of concavity and the inflection points.

Solution: To find the intervals of concavity and the inflection points, we need to
consider f 00 (x):
µ ¶
00 d 6x
f (x) =
dx (x2 + 3)2
d d
(x2 + 3)2 dx (6x) − (6x) dx ((x2 + 3)2 )
=
((x2 + 3)2 )2
(x2 + 3)2 (6) − (6x)(2(x2 + 3)(2x))
=
(x2 + 3)4
(x2 + 3)(6) − (6x)(2)(2x)
=
(x2 + 3)3
18 − 18x2
= .
(x2 + 3)3

First, we find the intervals of concavity: by the Concavity Test, f is concave upward
on the intervals where f 00 (x) > 0: since the denominator of f 00 (x) is strictly positive,

f 00 (x) > 0 ⇐⇒ 18 − 18x2 > 0 ⇐⇒ x2 < 1 ⇐⇒ |x| < 1,

so f is concave upwards on the interval (−1, 1). The Concavity Test also shows that f is
concave downward on the intervals where f 00 (x) is strictly negative, so

f 00 (x) < 0 ⇐⇒ 18 − 18x2 < 0 ⇐⇒ x2 > 1 ⇐⇒ |x| > 1,

so f is concave downward on the intervals (−∞, −1) and (1, ∞).

Finally, f has an inflection point wherever the concavity changes direction: since f is
concave downward on (−∞, −1), concave upward on (−1, 1), and concave downward again
on (1, ∞), f has two inflection points:
µ ¶
1
(−1, f (−1)) = −1,
4

and µ ¶
1
(1, f (1)) = 1, .
4
§4.3 #46. Let
x2
f (x) =
(x − 2)2

(a) Find the vertical and horizontal asymptotes.

Solution: The vertical asymptotes correspond to values of a where limx→a+ f (x) or

limx→a− f (x) is ±∞. Since f is rational, they can only exist where the denominator, (x − 2)2
is 0, which occurs at x = 2. As x → 2, (x − 2) → 0, so (x − 2)2 → 0+ , and hence

x2 22
lim f (x) = lim = = +∞,
x→2 x→2 (x − 2)2 0+

so f has a vertical asymptote at x = 2.

Horizontal asymptotes are determined by taking limits at ±∞:

x2 x2 x2
lim = lim 2 = lim 2 = 1,
x→−∞ (x − 2)2 x→−∞ x − 4x + 4 x→−∞ x

and
x2 x2
lim = lim = 1,
x→∞ (x − 2)2 x→∞ x2

so f has a horizontal asymptote at y = 1.

(b) Find the intervals of increase or decrease.

Solution: The intervals of increase or decrease correspond to when f 0 (x) > 0 and
0
f (x) < 0 respectively:

(x − 2)2 (2x) − (x2 )(2(x − 2)) (x − 2)(2x) − (x2 )(2) −4x

f 0 (x) = 2 2
= 3
= .
((x − 2) ) (x − 2) (x − 2)3

We have f 0 (x) > 0 when either −4x > 0 and (x − 2)3 > 0 or −4x < 0 and (x − 2)3 < 0.
The first condition corresponds to x < 0 and x > 2, an impossibility. The second condition
corresponds to x > 0 and x < 2, so f 0 (x) > 0 only occurs on the interval (0, 2).

We have f 0 (x) < 0 when either −4x > 0 and (x − 2)3 < 0 or −4x < 0 and (x − 2)3 > 0.
The first condition corresponds to x < 0 and x < 2, so f 0 (x) < 0 on (−∞, 2). The second
condition corresponds to x > 0 and x > 2, so f 0 (x) < 0 on (2, ∞).

Therefore the interval of increase is (0, 2), and the intervals of decrease are (−∞, 0)
and (2, ∞).
(c) Find the local maximum or minimum values.

Solution: The local maximum and minimum values can only occur where f 0 (x) = 0:
−4x
0= ⇐⇒ 0 = −4x ⇐⇒ x = 0,
(x − 2)3
and we note that by part (b) f (x) is decreasing on (−∞, 0) and increasing on (0, 2), so x = 0
corresponds to a local minimum with value f (0) = 0 by the First Derivative Test. There is
no local maximum.

(d) Find the intervals of concavity and the inflection points.

Solution: To find intervals of concavity, we need the second derivative:

(x − 2)3 (−4) − (−4x)(3(x − 2)2 ) (x − 2)(−4) − (−4x)(3) 8x + 8
f 00 (x) = 3 2
= 4
= .
((x − 2) ) (x − 2) (x − 2)4
By the Concavity Test, f (x) is concave upward on intervals where f 00 (x) > 0, and since
(x − 2)4 > 0 for x 6= 2, that means that f 0 (x) > 0 ⇐⇒ (8x + 8) > 0 ⇐⇒ x > −1, so f is
concave upward on the intervals (−1, 2) and (2, ∞).

Similarly, f (x) is concave downward on intervals where f 00 (x) < 0, which occurs only
when 8x + 8 < 0, or x < −1, so f (x) is concave downward on (−∞, −1).

Finally, from the above we see that the only value of x which corresponds to an inflec-
tion point is x = −1, since f (x) is concave downward on (−∞, −1) and concave upward on
(−1, 2), so the only inflection point is (−1, f (1)) = (−1, 1/9).

(e) Use the information from (a)-(d) to sketch the graph of f .

Figure 1: Graph of f (x).

§4.5 #2. Sketch the curve y = x3 + 6x2 + 9x.

Solution: A. The domain: since y(x) is a polynomial, the domain is R.

B. The intercepts: the y-intercept is y(0) = 0, and the x-intercepts occur when y = 0:

0 = x3 + 6x2 + 9x = x(x + 3)2 ,

so x = 0 and x = −3.

C. Symmetry: since y is a polynomial with both even and odd powers of x, it is neither
even nor odd, and is not periodic, so there is no useful symmetry.

D. Asymptotes: Since the domain is R and y is continuous, there are no vertical

asymptotes (since limx→a y(x) = y(a), which is never ±∞, for every a). We then check for
horizontal asymptotes:

lim y(x) = lim (x3 + 6x2 + 9x) = lim x3 = −∞,

x→−∞ x→−∞ x→−∞

and
lim y(x) = lim x3 = ∞,
x→∞ x→∞

so y has no horizontal asymptotes.

E. Intervals of increase/decrease: y 0 (x) = 3x2 + 12x + 9 = 3(x + 1)(x + 3). Since y 0 (x)
is a quadratic with positive leading coefficient and roots x = −3, −1, so y 0 (x) > 0 on the
intervals (−∞, −3) and (−1, ∞), so y is increasing on (−∞, −3) and (−1, ∞). Similarly,
y 0 (x) < 0 only on (−3, −1), so y is decreasing on (−3, −1).

F. Local maximum and minimum values: y 0 (x) = 0 only when x = −3, −1: y is in-
creasing on (−∞, −3) and decreasing on (−3, −1) and increasing on (−1, ∞), so by the First
Derivative Test, x = −3 corresponds to a local maximum with value y(−3) = 0 and x = −1
corresponds to a local minimum with value y(−1) = −4.

G. Concavity and inflection points: y 00 (x) = 6x + 12, so therefore y 00 (x) < 0 when
x < −2 and y 00 (x) > 0 when x > −2, and hence y is concave downward on (−∞, −2)
and concave upward on (−2, ∞). Since y 00 (x) goes from negative to positive, the point
(−2, y(−2)) = (−2, −2) is the only inflection point.
 Figure 2: Graph of y(x).

§4.5 #10. Sketch the curve

x
y= .
(x − 1)2

Solution: A. The domain: Since y is rational, the domain is everywhere except where
the denominator is 0: (x − 1)2 = 0 ⇐⇒ x = 1, so the domain is (−∞, 1) ∪ (1, ∞).

B. The intercepts: The y-intercept is y = 0, and the x-intercept is clearly x = 0.

C. Symmetry: Since the function is rational, it’s not periodic, and since it involves
both even and odd coefficients of x, it’s nether even nor odd, so y(x) is not symmetric.

D. Asymptotes: Since the domain is (−∞, 1) ∪ (1, ∞), we take the one-sided limits of
each of the endpoints:
x x 1
lim 2
= lim 2 = lim = 0,
x→−∞ (x − 1) x→−∞ x x→−∞ x

x 1
lim− 2
= + = +∞,
x→1 (x − 1) 0
x 1
lim+ 2
= + = +∞,
x→1 (x − 1) 0
x x
lim = lim = 0,
x→∞ (x − 1)2 x→∞ x2

and we see that y(x) has a horizontal asymptote at y = 0 and vertical asymptote x = 1.
 E. Intervals of increase/decrease:

(x − 1)2 (1) − x(2(x − 1)) −(x + 1)

y 0 (x) = 2 2
=
((x − 1) ) (x − 1)3

First, we find the intervals of increase: they correspond to values in the domain where
y (x) > 0, which can only happen if either −(x + 1) > 0 and (x − 1)3 > 0 or −(x + 1) < 0
0

and (x − 1)3 < 0. In the former case, we get x < −1 and x > 1, which is impossible. In the
latter, we get x > −1 and x < 1, so y(x) is increasing on (−1, 1).

The intervals of decrease correspond to y 0 (x) < 0: either −(x + 1) > 0 and (x − 1)3 < 0,
in which case x < −1 and x < 1, or −(x + 1) < 0 and (x − 1)3 > 0, in which case x > −1
and x > 1. Thus, we see the intervals of decrease are (−∞, −1) and (1, ∞).

F. Local maximum and minimum values: the only solution to y 0 (x) = 0 is x = −1, and
since y goes from decreasing to increasing, it is a local minimum with value y(−1) = −1/4.
There is no local maximum.

G. Concavity and inflection points:

(x − 1)3 (−1) − (−(x + 1))(3(x − 1)2 ) 2x + 4

y 00 (x) = 3 2
= ,
((x − 1) ) (x − 1)4

and since its denominator is positive in the domain, that means the sign of y 00 (x) is the sign
of its numerator 2x + 4. Hence y 00 (x) < 0 when x < −2, y 00 (x) > 0 when x > −2, and
we get that y is concave downward on (−∞, −2), and y is concave upward on the intervals
(−2, 1) and (1, ∞). Since the concavity changes at x = −2, y has an inflection point at
(−2, y(−2)) = (−2, −2/9).

Figure 3: Graph of y(x).