DIFFERENTIATION & FUNCTIONS (Q 6, 7 & 8, PAPER 1)

LESSON NO. 13: CUBIC GRAPHS

2004
6 (b) Let f ( x) = x3 − 3 x 2 + 1, x ∈ R.
(i) Find f (−1) and f (3).

(ii) Find f ′( x), the derivative of f (x).

(iii) Find the co-ordinates of the local maximum point and of the local minimum
point of the curve y = f (x).

(iv) Draw the graph of the function f in the domain −1 ≤ x ≤ 3.

Use your graph to:

(v) estimate the range of values of x for which f (x) < 0 and x > 0

(vi) estimate the range of values of x for which f ′( x) < 0.

SOLUTION
6 (b) (i)
f ( x) = x3 − 3x 2 + 1
∴ f (−1) = (−1)3 − 3(−1) 2 + 1 = −1 − 3(1) + 1 = −1 − 3 + 1 = −3
∴ f (3)) = (3)3 − 3(3) 2 + 1 = 27 − 3(9) + 1 = 27 − 27 + 1 = 1
6 (b) (ii) REMEMBER IT AS:
dy Multiply down by the power and
y = xn ⇒ = nx n −1 ....... 1
dx subtract one from the power.

dy
CONSTANT RULE: If y = Constant ⇒ =0
dx
dy du
MULTIPLY BY A CONSTANT RULE: If y = cu, where c is a constant and u is a function of x, = c× .
dx dx
f ( x) = x3 − 3x 2 + 1
⇒ f ′( x) = 3 x 2 − 3 × 2 x + 0 = 3 x 2 − 6 x

CONT....
6 (b) (iii)
STEPS FOR FINDING THE LOCAL MAXIMUM AND LOCAL MINIMUM OF A FUNCTION:
STEPS
dy d2y
1. Differentiate the function to find . Differentiate again to find .
dx dx 2
dy
2. Set = 0 and solve for x to find the turning points.
dx

d2y
3. Substitute the turning points into to decide if they are a local
dx 2
maximum or a local minimum.
4. Find the y coordinates of the turning points by substituting the x values
back into the equation of the original function.

1. y = f ( x) = x3 − 3 x 2 + 1
dy
= f ′( x) = 3 x 2 − 6 x
dx
d2y
= f ′′( x) = 6 x − 6
dx 2
dy
2. = 0 ⇒ 3x 2 − 6 x = 0
dx
⇒ 3 x ( x − 2) = 0
∴ x = 0, 2
⎛ d2y ⎞
⎛ d2y ⎞ Local Maximum: ⎜ 2 ⎟ < 0
3. ⎜ 2 ⎟ = 6(0) − 6 = −6 < 0 ⎝ dx ⎠ TP
⎝ dx ⎠ x =0 ....... 7
⎛ d2y ⎞
⎛d y⎞
2
Local Minimum: ⎜ 2 ⎟ > 0
⎜ 2 ⎟ = 6(2) − 6 = 12 − 6 = 6 > 0 ⎝ dx ⎠ TP
⎝ dx ⎠ x = 2
4. y = f (0) = (0)3 − 3(0) 2 + 1 = 1 ⇒ (0, 1) is a local maximum.
y = f (2) = (2)3 − 3(2) 2 + 1 = 8 − 12 + 1 = −3 ⇒ (2, − 3) is a local minimum.

6 (b) (iv)
You have enough points already to draw the cubic function.
You have from part (i) the starting and finishing points: (−1, − 3), (3, 1)
From part (iii) you have the turning points: Local maximum (0, 1), Local minimum (2, − 3)

f (x)

1
x
-1 1 2 3
-1

-2

-3

CONT....
6 (b) (v)
f (x)
f (x) > 0: Above the x-axis; f (x) < 0: Below the x-axis c
1
What values of x is the graph below the x-axis x
-1 a 1 2 b 3
(f (x) < 0) and to the right of the y-axis (x > 0)? -1
You can see from the graph that the values a and b
satisfy this condition. -2
∴ 0.7 < x < 2.7 -3
d

6 (b) (vi)
f ′( x) < 0: Curve is decreasing; f ′( x) > 0: Curve is increasing.

You are being asked for what values of x is the curve decreasing. You can see from the graph
it decreases as you go from left to right from c to d, i.e. values of x from 0 to 2.
∴0 < x < 2

2001
6 (b) Let f ( x) = 2 − 9 x + 6 x 2 − x3 for x ∈ R.
(i) Find f (−1), f (2) and f (5).
(ii) Find f ′( x), the derivative of f (x).
(iii) Find the co-ordinates of the local maximum and the local minimum of f (x).
(iv) Draw the graph of f (x) in the domain −1 ≤ x ≤ 5.
(v) Use your graph to find the range of real values of k for which f (x) = k has more
than one solution.
SOLUTION
6 (b) (i)
f ( x) = 2 − 9 x + 6 x 2 − x3
⇒ f (−1) = 2 − 9(−1) + 6(−1) 2 − (−1)3 = 2 + 9 + 6(1) − (−1)
= 2 + 9 + 6 + 1 = 18

⇒ f (2) = 2 − 9(2) + 6(2) 2 − (2)3 = 2 − 18 + 6(4) − (8)

= 2 − 18 + 24 − 8 = 0

⇒ f (5) = 2 − 9(5) + 6(5) 2 − (5)3 = 2 − 45 + 6(25) − (125)

= 2 − 45 + 150 − 125 = −13
6 (b) (ii) REMEMBER IT AS:
dy
y = xn ⇒ = nx n −1 ....... 1
dx Multiply down by the power and
subtract one from the power.
dy
CONSTANT RULE: If y = Constant ⇒ =0
dx
dy du
MULTIPLY BY A CONSTANT RULE: If y = cu, where c is a constant and u is a function of x, = c× .
dx dx
f ( x) = 2 − 9 x + 6 x − x
2 3

⇒ f ′( x) = 0 − 9 + 6 × 2 x − 3 x 2 = −9 + 12 x − 3 x 2
6 (b) (iii) STEPS FOR FINDING THE LOCAL MAXIMUM AND LOCAL MINIMUM OF A FUNCTION:
STEPS
dy d2y
1. Differentiate the function to find . Differentiate again to find .
dx dx 2
dy
2. Set = 0 and solve for x to find the turning points.
dx

d2y
3. Substitute the turning points into to decide if they are a local
dx 2
maximum or a local minimum.
4. Find the y coordinates of the turning points by substituting the x values
back into the equation of the original function.

1. y = f ( x) = 2 − 9 x + 6 x 2 − x3
dy
= f ′( x) = −9 + 12 x − 3 x 2
dx
d2y
= f ′′( x) = 12 − 6 x
dx 2
dy
2. = 0 ⇒ −9 + 12 x − 3 x 2 = 0
dx
⇒ x2 − 4x + 3 = 0
⇒ ( x − 1)( x − 3) = 0
∴ x = 1, 3
⎛ d2y ⎞
⎛ d2y ⎞ Local Maximum: ⎜ 2 ⎟ < 0
3. ⎜ 2 ⎟ = 12 − 6(1) = 12 − 6 = 6 ⎝ dx ⎠ TP
⎝ dx ⎠ x =1 ....... 7
⎛ d2y ⎞
⎛ d2y ⎞ Local Minimum: ⎜ 2 ⎟ > 0
⎜ 2 ⎟ = 12 − 6(3) = 12 − 18 = −6 ⎝ dx ⎠ TP
⎝ dx ⎠ x =3
4. x = 1 : y = f (1) = 2 − 9(1) + 6(1) 2 − (1)3 = 2 − 9 + 6 − 1 = −2 ⇒ (1, − 2) is a local minimum.
x = 3 : y = f (3) = 2 − 9(3) + 6(3) 2 − (3)3 = 2 − 27 + 54 − 27 = 2 ⇒ (3, 2) is a local maximum.

6 (b) (iv)
f (x)
You have sufficient information from parts (i) 18
and (iii) to draw the cubic graph. 16
Points: (−1, 18), (2, 0), (5, − 13) 14
12
Local maximum: (3, 2); Local minimum: (1, − 2) 10
8
6 (b) (v) 6
The line f (x) = k is a horizontal line. You can 4
see from the graph that all lines drawn 2
-1 1 2 3 4 5
between 2 and −2 will cut the graph in more -2
-4
than one place. -6
∴−2 ≤ k ≤ 2 -8
-10
-12
-14
1996
8 (b) Let f ( x) = x3 − 3 x 2, for x ∈ R.
(i) Find f ′( x), the derivative of f (x). Hence, calculate the coordinates of the local
maximum and the local minimum of f (x).
(ii) Draw the graph of
f ( x) = x3 − 3x 2
for −1 ≤ x ≤ 3.
SOLUTION
8 (b) (i)
STEPS FOR FINDING THE LOCAL MAXIMUM AND LOCAL MINIMUM OF A FUNCTION:
STEPS
dy d2y
1. Differentiate the function to find . Differentiate again to find .
dx dx 2
dy
2. Set = 0 and solve for x to find the turning points.
dx

d2y
3. Substitute the turning points into to decide if they are a local
dx 2
maximum or a local minimum.
4. Find the y coordinates of the turning points by substituting the x values
back into the equation of the original function.

1. y = f ( x) = x3 − 3 x 2
dy
⇒ = f ′( x) = 3 x 2 − 6 x
dx
d2y
⇒ 2 = f ′′( x) = 6 x − 6
dx
dy
2. = 0 ⇒ 3x 2 − 6 x = 0
dx
⇒ 3 x( x − 2) = 0
∴ x = 0, 2
⎛ d2y ⎞
⎛ d2y ⎞ Local Maximum: ⎜ 2 ⎟ < 0
3. ⎜ 2 ⎟ = 6(0) − 6 = 0 − 6 = −6 < 0 ⎝ dx ⎠ TP
⎝ dx ⎠ x =0 ....... 7
⎛d y⎞
2 ⎛ d2y ⎞
Local Minimum: ⎜ 2 ⎟ > 0
⎜ 2 ⎟ = 6(2) − 6 = 12 − 6 = 6 > 0 ⎝ dx ⎠ TP
⎝ dx ⎠ x = 2
4. x = 0 : y = f (0) = (0)3 − 3(0) 2 = 0 − 0 = 0 ⇒ (0, 0) is a local maximum.
x = 2 : y = f (2) = (2)3 − 3(2) 2 = 8 − 12 = −4 ⇒ (2, − 4) is a local minimum.

CONT....
8 (b) (ii)
x = −1 : f (−1) = (−1)3 − 3(−1) 2 = −1 − 3 × 1 = −1 − 3 = −4 ⇒ (−1, − 4) is a point.
x = 0 : f (0) = (0)3 − 3(0) 2 = 0 − 3 × 0 = 0 − 0 = 0 ⇒ (0, 0) is a point.
x = 1 : f (1) = (1)3 − 3(1) 2 = 1 − 3 × 1 = 1 − 3 = −2 ⇒ (1, − 2) is a point.
x = 2 : f (2) = (2)3 − 3(2) 2 = 8 − 3 × 4 = 8 − 12 = −4 ⇒ (2, − 4) is a point.
x = 3 : f (3) = (3)3 − 3(3) 2 = 27 − 3 × 9 = 27 − 27 = 0 ⇒ (3, 0) is a point.

1 f (x)
x
-1 1 2 3
-1

-2

-3

-4

8 (b) (iii)
-0.7 1 f (x) 2.7
f ( x ) + 2 = 0 ⇒ f ( x ) = −2 x
Go to −2 on the f (x) axis. Draw a line -1 1 2 3
straight across until it meets the graph. Read -1
off the x values. -2
∴ x = −0.7, 1, 2.7
-3

-4

8 (b) (iv)
f ′( x) < 0: Curve is decreasing; f ′( x) > 0: Curve is increasing.

You can see the graph is decreasing from values of x from 0 to 2.

∴ f ′( x) < 0 ⇒ 0 < x < 2