Exercise 6.3 · Q3: Local maxima and minima of eight functions, from to
3. Find the local maxima and local minima, if any, of the following functions. Find also the local maximum and the local minimum values, as the case may be:
(i) (ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v) (vi)
(vii) (viii)
(i) gives .
, so : is a point of local minima.
Local minimum value ; no local maximum.
(ii) Here
gives or .
. , so is a point of local minima.
, so is a point of local maxima.
Local minimum value ; local maximum value .
(iii) gives , so in .
, so : is a point of local maxima.
Local maximum value ; no local minimum.
(iv) gives , so or in .
.
, so is a point of local maxima.
, so is a point of local minima.
Local maximum value ; local minimum value .
(v) Here
gives or .
. , so is a point of local maxima.
, so is a point of local minima.
Local maximum value ; local minimum value .
(vi) gives , so (as ).
, so : is a point of local minima.
Local minimum value ; no local maximum.
(vii) gives .
In , . In , . So is a point of local maxima.
Local maximum value ; no local minimum.
(viii) By the product rule, for ,
gives .
In , . In , . So is a point of local maxima.
Local maximum value , at ; no local minimum.
Want the reason behind every step, the basics and the checks?
Every function here is differentiable at every point of its (open) domain, so by Theorem 2 a local maximum or minimum can only occur where the derivative is zero. So we solve to get the few candidate points, and then decide each candidate with a test: the second derivative test (sign of at the point) when is easy, or the first derivative test (does change sign, and which way?) when it is not.
- Given
- Eight functions with the stated domains (all of where none is given).
- To find
- The points of local maxima and minima and the local maximum and minimum values (Definition 4, Section 6.4).
- Plan
- For each part: (1) differentiate, naming each rule; (2) solve inside the domain, keeping only solutions in it; (3) apply Theorem 4 (second derivative test) or Theorem 3 (first derivative test) to each critical point; (4) evaluate there.
Basics you need
An interior point of the domain is a point of local maxima if for all in some interval ; is then the local maximum value. Local minima: the same with . Lesson: maxima and minima
If has a local maximum or minimum at (in an open interval), then or is not differentiable at . Such points are called critical points. Here every function is differentiable on its domain, so only matters.
At a critical point where is continuous: changes from to means local maxima; from to means local minima; no change of sign means neither (a point of inflection). Lesson: first and second derivative tests
If : means local maxima; means local minima; means the test fails and we go back to the first derivative test.
A product or quotient is positive when it has an even number of negative factors. A sign chart records the sign of each factor on each interval. Basics: sign of a product
; in the second quadrant sine is positive and cosine negative, in the fourth the reverse. Basics: signs of sin and cos
Part (i):
Critical point
(power rule), which is only at .
is a polynomial, differentiable everywhere, so by Theorem 2 the only possible local extreme point is where .Theorem 2, Section 6.4. Lesson: testsTest it
, so : by the second derivative test, is a point of local minima, and the local minimum value is . The first derivative test agrees: is negative for and positive for .
There is no other critical point, so there is no local maximum.
Theorem 2 rules out a local maximum anywhere else, because nowhere else is zero. (This matches Example 14, where has minimum value at .)Theorem 4(ii); Example 14.
Part (ii):
Critical points
So at and .
Take out the common factor , then use (difference of squares).Factorising. Basics: factorisingSecond derivative test
.
- : is a point of local minima; value .
- : is a point of local maxima; value .
The second derivative tells us which way the graph bends: positive means bending upwards (a valley), negative means bending downwards (a hilltop).Theorem 4, Section 6.4. Lesson: tests
Part (iii):
Critical points in
. Setting it to zero: . On , , so we may divide by it: . The only angle in with is .
Dividing by is safe only because it is not zero on this interval. rises strictly from towards on , so it takes the value exactly once.Second derivative test
, so
So is a point of local maxima, with local maximum value . It is the only critical point, so there is no local minimum.
. The end points and are excluded, and Definition 4 only concerns interior points anyway.Theorem 4(i). Lesson: tests
Part (iv):
Critical points in
. Setting it to zero: .
Could here? Then , and would say , impossible. So at any solution, and dividing gives . In , at
is negative where sine and cosine have opposite signs: the second and fourth quadrants. The reference angle for is , giving and . Checking first ensures we lose no solution by dividing.Signs of sin and cos by quadrant. Basics: signs of sin and cosSecond derivative test
.
- At : , , so : local maxima, value .
- At : , , so : local minima, value .
: at we subtract a negative cosine, which adds; at both terms are negative.Theorem 4. Lesson: tests
Part (v):
Critical points
So at and .
: two numbers with product and sum are and .Factorising a quadratic. Basics: factorisingSecond derivative test
.
- : local maxima at ; value .
- : local minima at ; value .
The sign chart below reaches the same verdict by the first derivative test: goes , so it changes from to at and from to at .Theorems 3 and 4. Lesson: tests
Part (vi):
Critical points with
Writing , the power rule gives
This is zero when , i.e. or . Only is in the domain .
Over the common denominator : and . The denominator is never zero for , so is differentiable on the whole domain.Discarding solutions outside the domain. Basics: interval notationSecond derivative test
(the derivative of is ), so . Hence is a point of local minima, with local minimum value
It is the only critical point, so there is no local maximum.
An alternative view: by the AM–GM idea, for , with equality at ; the calculus agrees.Theorem 4(ii). Lesson: tests
Part (vii):
Critical points
Write . By the chain rule (outer , inner , ),
The denominator is always positive (), so only at .
is defined and differentiable for every real because is never zero.Chain rule; .First derivative test (and a second-derivative check)
The sign of is the sign of : positive for , negative for . So changes from to at , and by Theorem 3(i) is a point of local maxima, with local maximum value .
Check with Theorem 4: , so . ✓ There is no local minimum.
The first derivative test is quicker here because the denominator of is always positive, so only the numerator decides the sign. Common sense agrees: is smallest at , so its reciprocal is largest there.Theorem 3(i), Theorem 4(i). Lesson: tests
Part (viii):
Differentiate with the product and chain rules
On , , so is differentiable, with derivative (chain rule, inner function ). By the product rule,
To combine the two terms, multiply top and bottom by : its numerator becomes .Product rule with , .Critical point and the first derivative test
when , i.e. , which is in . The denominator is positive on , so the sign of is the sign of : positive on , negative on . So changes from to , and is a point of local maxima (Theorem 3(i)).
Rationalise: . The first derivative test avoids differentiating the quotient again; for the record, , which agrees.Theorem 3(i); sign of a quotient. Basics: sign of a product
(i) Local minimum at , value ; no local maximum.
(ii) Local minimum at , value ; local maximum at , value .
(iii) Local maximum at , value ; no local minimum.
(iv) Local maximum at , value ; local minimum at , value .
(v) Local maximum at , value ; local minimum at , value .
(vi) Local minimum at , value ; no local maximum.
(vii) Local maximum at , value ; no local minimum.
(viii) Local maximum at , value ; no local minimum.
(Textbook answer: the same in every part.)
(ii) and , both below . ✓
(iii) , below . ✓
(v) , (below ); , (above ). ✓
(vi) , , both above . ✓ (vii) . ✓
(viii) , , . ✓
- Keeping in (vi). The domain is ; a critical point must lie in the domain.
- Dividing by without checking it is non-zero in (iii) and (iv). Here it is safe, but say why.
- Missing in (iv). has two solutions in , one in the second quadrant and one in the fourth.
- Calling a local maximum "the maximum". In (ii), is only highest nearby: is larger.
- Product rule slip in (viii). The derivative of carries a minus sign from the inner function .
- Recipe: differentiate, solve inside the domain, test each critical point, evaluate.
- Use the second derivative test when is easy; use the first derivative test when is a product or quotient whose sign is easy to read.
- A local extreme value describes the function only near the point; the function may go higher or lower elsewhere.
Every fact used, and where it comes from
| Fact | Used in | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Local maxima, local minima, local maximum and minimum values | Every part | Definition 4, Section 6.4 (Lesson: maxima and minima) |
| Local extremum in an open interval ⇒ or not differentiable; critical points | The first step of every part | Theorem 2 and the Note after it, Section 6.4 |
| First derivative test | Parts (i), (v), (vii), (viii) | Theorem 3, Section 6.4 (Lesson: tests) |
| Second derivative test | Parts (i)–(vii); check in (viii) | Theorem 4, Section 6.4 |
| Power, product, quotient and chain rules | The first step of every part | Chapter 5 (Continuity and Differentiability) |
| , , at , , ; signs by quadrant | Parts (iii), (iv) | Class XI, Chapter 3 (Basics) |
| has minimum value at | Part (i) | Example 14, Section 6.4 |
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