Find the intervals in which the following functions are increasing or decreasing.
Given:- Function
Theorem:- Let f be a differentiable real function defined on an open interval (a,b).
(i) If f’(x) > 0 for all , then f(x) is increasing on (a, b)
(ii) If f’(x) < 0 for all , then f(x) is decreasing on (a, b)
Algorithm:-
(i) Obtain the function and put it equal to f(x)
(ii) Find f’(x)
(iii) Put f’(x) > 0 and solve this inequation.
For the value of x obtained in (ii) f(x) is increasing and for remaining points in its domain it is decreasing.
Here we have,
⇒
⇒ f’(x) = x3 + 2x2 – 5x – 6
For f(x) lets find critical point, we must have
⇒ f’(x) = 0
⇒ x3 + 2x2 – 5x – 6 = 0
⇒ (x+1)(x – 2)(x + 3) = 0
⇒ x = –1, 2 , –3
clearly, f’(x) > 0 if –3 < x < –1 and x > 2
and f’(x) < 0 if x < –3 and –3 < x < –1
Thus, f(x) increases on (–3, –1) ∪ (2, ∞)
and f(x) is decreasing on interval (∞, –3) ∪ (–1, 2)