Find the intervals in which the following functions are increasing or decreasing.
f(x) = (x – 1) (x – 2)2
Given:- Function f(x) = (x – 1) (x – 2)2
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) = (x – 1) (x – 2)2
⇒
⇒ f’(x) =(x – 2)2 +2(x – 2)(x – 1)
⇒ f’(x) = (x – 2)(x – 2 + 2x – 2)
⇒ f’(x) = (x – 2 )(3x – 4)
For f(x) lets find critical point, we must have
⇒ f’(x) = 0
⇒ (x – 2 )(3x – 4) = 0
⇒ x = 2,
clearly, f’(x) > 0 if and x >2
and f’(x) < 0 if
Thus, f(x) increases on
and f(x) is decreasing on interval