1

Section 3.4 Increasing and Decreasing Func-

tions
Definition • A function f (x) is increasing if f (x0 ) ≤ f (x1 ) whenever
x0 < x1 . It is strictly increasing if f (x0 ) < f (x1 ) whenever x0 < x1 .

• A function f (x) is decreasing if f (x0 ) ≥ f (x1 ) whenever x0 < x1 . It is

strictly decreasing if f (x0 ) > f (x1 ) whenever x0 < x1 .

Note that ”an increasing” function preserves the ”order” between two points,
where as a decreasing one ”reverses” it. So intuitively, a function is increas-
ing if outputs don’t get smaller as inputs get bigger. Similarly, a function is
decreasing if outputs don’t get bigger as inputs get bigger.

Geometrical Observations:

The function below is a graph of a function that is increasing. It also has

the tangent lines drawn to it at several points. Note that the slopes of these
tangent lines are all positive. Hence f 0 appears to be positive everywhere.

Out[34]=
2

Next we have a graph of a function that is decreasing. It also has the tangent
lines drawn to it at several points. Note that the slopes of these tangent
lines are all negative. Hence f 0 appears to be negative everywhere.

Out[35]=

So the following theorem should come as no surprise:

Theorem Suppose that f is a differentiable function on an interval I

1) If f 0 (x) > 0 for all x in I, then f is increasing(%) on I.

2) If f 0 (x) < 0 for all x in I, then f is decreasing(&) on I.

Proof We have proved the first result as a corollary of Mean Value

Theorem in class. Here to remind ourselves MVT we will prove the second
one:
Let f 0 (x) < 0 on the interval I. Pick any two points x1 and x2 in I where x1 <
x2 . Applying MVT on the interval [x1 , x2 ] (note that this small interval in
contained in our bigger interval I) because f is continuous and differentiable
on I hence on [x1 , x2 ], we know that there is a c in the interval [x1 , x2 ] such
that
f (x2 ) − f (x1 )
(?) f 0 (c) =
x2 − x1
By our assumption f 0 (c) < 0 also x2 −x1 > 0 because x1 < x2 implies by the
(?) above that f (x2 ) − f (x1 ) < 0. Hence f (x2 ) < f (x1 ). Since our choices
of x1 and x2 are arbitrary this result will hold for all possible choices in I.
So for any x1 < x2 , f (x1 ) > f (x2 ). By definition then f is decreasing on I.

This theorem suggests that we can gather information about f (x) using
f 0 (x). The next theorem will give the full recipe of how to do exactly that.
To make sure you have a better understanding of the next result we will
 3

have couple of geometrical explorations that will pave the road to it.

Note that in each of the following cases the argument will be around a
”critical point” (recall that a critical point is a point where either f 0 (x) = 0
or f 0 (x) does not exist.)
Case 1 Assume that at the critical point x = c, the function f(x) has a
maximum. Then a typical picture you will get, will be one of the following:

f'HcL dne
f'HcL=0

Out[15]=
Out[1]= f'>0 f'<0
f'<0 f'>0

Case 2 Assume that at the critical point x = c, the function f(x) has a
minimum. Then a typical picture you will get, will be one of the following:

f'<0 f'>0
Out[14]=
Out[13]= f'<0 f'>0

f'HcL=0 f'HcL dne

4

Case 3 Assume that at the critical point x = c, the function has neither a
minimum nor a maximum. The a typical picture you will get, will be one
of the following:

f '>0
f'>0

Out[48]=
f'HcL=0 Out[49]= f 'HcL dne

f'>0
f '>0

or one of these

f'<0
f'<0
f'HcL dne

Out[54]=
f'HcL=0 Out[78]=

f'<0

f'<0
 5

First Derivative Test Let f(x) be continuous on the interval [a, b] and c a
critical point of f(x) on the open interval (a, b), then

1) f (c) is a local maximum if

f 0 (x) > 0 for all x in (a, c) and f 0 (x) < 0 for all x in (c, b).

2) f (c) is a local minimum if

f 0 (x) < 0 for all x in (a, c) and f 0 (x) > 0 for all x in (c, b).

3) f (c) is not a local extremum if f 0 (x) has the same sign on (a, c) and (c, b).

Example Find where the function F (x) = 3x4 − 4x3 − 12x2 + 5 is increasing
and decreasing and classify the critical points of F.

We have to first find the critical points. Since F(x) is a polynomial the
derivative does not exist case is not a possibility. So we will only explore
F 0 (x) = 0 one.

F 0 (x) = 0 ⇒ 12x3 −12x2 −24x = 0 ⇒ 12x(x2 −x−2) = 0 ⇒ 12x(x+1)(x−2) = 0

So the critical values are x = 0, and x = −1 and x = 2. To classify these
critical points we’ll use the First Derivative Test. It is much easier to ob-
serve the test in action on a sign chart.
6

This chart is formed as follows: I think the first row (x-row) as the real line.
On the very left we have −∞ and as we move towards right the numbers get
bigger and on the very right we have +∞. In the F 0 row: I have ”zeros” in
the middle of each vertical line emanating from each of the critical values on
the top row indicating the fact that these values make the derivative equal
to zero. I have determined the signs in this row (F 0 row) by picking up test
points from each interval and plugging it into the derivative and checking
the sign. For example from the interval (−∞, −1) I picked up x = −2,
then F 0 (−2) = 12(−2)(−2 + 1)(−2 − 2) < 0, hence I have the negative
sign (-) between −∞ and -1, similarly from the interval (−1, 0), I picked
up x = −1/2, then F 0 (−1/2) = 12(−1/2)(−1/2 + 1)(−1/2 − 2) > 0, hence
I have the positive sign (+) between -1 and 0. The rest of the derivative
row signs completed in a similar manner. Then for F row I have used the
information from the first theorem; when the derivative is negative function
is decreasing and when it is positive it is increasing. So F is decreasing (&)
on the intervals (−∞, −1) and (0, 2) and it is increasing (%) on the intervals
(−1, 0) and (2, ∞)

Now, by using the First Derivative Test we can classify the critical points as
follows: x = −1 is a local minimum, x = 0 is a local maximum and x = 2 is
a local minimum. Here is a rough sketch of F (x) based on this investigation:

(x−1)2
Example Find where the function F (x) = (x+1) is increasing and decreas-
ing and classify the critical points of F.

The first step is the same; find the critical points first. One of the criti-
cal points is easy to recognize from the function itself because the function
F (x) is not defined at x = −1 hence it is not differentiable at this point. So
F 0 (−1) does not exist, meaning x = −1 is a critical point. To find the rest
of the critical points I need to do the work.
 7

2(x−1)(x+1)−(x−1)2 (x−1)(x+3)
F 0 (x) = (x+1)2
= (x+1)2

F 0 (x) = 0 ⇒ (x − 1)(x + 3) = 0 ⇒ x = 1 and x = −3

Also the derivative confirms our previous observation F 0 (−1) is not defined.
So the critical values are x = −3, −1, 1. To classify these points and where
the function is decreasing (&) or increasing (%) I’ll use a similar chart
like the one in the previous example. The only difference between this sign
chart’s construction and the previous one is: I have double-vertical lines
emanating from the critical value x = −1. This is to distinguish this critical
value from the other two(-3 and 1), because this one makes my derivative
not defined and other two make it equal to zero.

So according to sign chart: F is % on the intervals (−∞, −3) and (1, ∞).
F is & on the intervals (−3, −1) and (−1, 1). By using the First Derivative
Test at x = −3 we have a local maximum and at x = 1 we have a local
minimum

Here we have a rough sketch of F based on the information above.