Joseph Dimmick

Calculus: 1210
Cesar Melo
9 April 2019

Curve Analysis
Instructions: Hand Sketch the curve of 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 − 3𝑥1/3 . Following the basic
guidelines for sketching a curve.
1. Determine the domain of f.
a. Instructions did not bound the domain and we can take the cube root (or
cube any real number). There is no value for x that would cause the
equation to be undefined. This indicates that the domain is the set of all
real numbers. (−∞, ∞)
2. Find any intercepts of f, if possible.
a. To find x intercepts will set f(x) equal to 0 and solve for x. evaluating f(0)
will give us the y intercept
1
Subtract x from both sides
𝑥 − 3𝑥 3 = 0
1 Cube both sides
−3𝑥 3 = −𝑥
−27𝑥 = −𝑥 3 Divide both sides by -x
27 = 𝑥 2 Square root both sides
±√27 = 𝑥
𝑥 ≈ ±5.196 f(x) crosses the x axis at about
(5.196,0) and (-5.196, 0)
1 f(x) crosses the y axis at (0,0)
𝑓(0) = (0) − 3(0)3 = 0 − 0 = 0

3. Test for Symmetry or periodicity.

a. Nothing in the equation of f(x) implies periodicity.
Symmetry of y-axis Symmetry of x-axis Symmetry of origin
Substitute -y for y Substitute -x for x -x for x and -y for y
1/3 1/3
−𝑦 = 𝑥 − 3𝑥 𝑦 = −𝑥 − 3(−𝑥) −𝑦 = −𝑥 − 3(−𝑥)1/3
𝑦 = −𝑥 + 3𝑥1/3 𝑦 = −𝑥 + 3𝑥1/3 −𝑦 = −𝑥 + 3𝑥1/3
No symmetry of y-axis No symmetry of x-axis 𝑦 = 𝑥 − 3𝑥1/3
Symmetrical of origin

4. Find any asymptotes of f by evaluation the appropriate limits.

a. Because x and the cube root functions are defined for all real numbers
there is nothing limiting this function so no vertical asymptotes will be
present. evaluate lim 𝑓(𝑥) to find any horizontal asymptotes.
𝑥→±∞
1 1
lim 𝑥 − 3𝑥 3 lim 𝑥 − 3𝑥 3
𝑥→−∞ 𝑥→+∞
𝑓(−10) = −3.56 𝑓(10) = 3.56
𝑓(−100) = −86.1 𝑓(100) = 86.1
𝑓(−1000) = −970 𝑓(1000) = 970
𝑓(−10000) = −9935.4 𝑓(10000) = 9935.4
lim 𝑓(𝑥) = −∞ lim 𝑓(𝑥) = ∞
𝑥→−∞ 𝑥→∞
Joseph Dimmick
Calculus: 1210
Cesar Melo
9 April 2019

5. Determine the intervals of increase and decrease.

a. Using our critical points we evaluate the sign of the first-degree derivative
just before and just after the critical points. Positive indicates the f(x) is
increasing and negative indicates f(x) is decreasing.
𝑓′(−1.1) 𝑓′(−1) 𝑓′(−.9) 𝑓 ′ . 9) 𝑓′(1) 𝑓′(1.1)
+ 0 − − 0 +
Increasing Decreasing Decreasing Increasing
f(x) is increasing: (−∞, −𝟏) ∪ (𝟏, ∞)
f(x) is decreasing: (−𝟏, 𝟏)
local max at point (-1,2)
local min at point (1,-2)
6. Locate extreme points.
a. We find extreme points by setting the first-degree derivative equal to 0 and
finding the x values of where the slope of the tangent line is m=0 then
evaluating those x values in our original function.
𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 − 3𝑥1/3 Find the first-degree derivative
1 simplify
1 − 3 ∗ ∗ 𝑥 −2/3
3
1 X can not be equal to 0. We
1 − 2/3
𝑥 already know that (0,0) is a y-axis
intercept.
1 Set the derivative equal to 0 and
1− 2 =0
solve for x by first subtracting 1
𝑥3 from both sides.
1 1 Using the fraction form of 1 cross
− 2=−
1 multiply.
𝑥3
2 Cube both sides
𝑥3 = 1
𝑥2 = 1 Square both sides
𝑥 = ±1 Evaluating f(1) and f(-1) will give us
the critical points (extreme points)
1 f(1) gives us the extreme point of
𝑓(1) = 1 − 3(1)3 = 1 − 3 = −2
(1,-2)
1 f(-1) gives us the extreme point of
𝑓(1) = (−1) − 3(−1)3 = −1 + 3
(-1,2)
=2

7. Determine Intervals of concavity.

a. Evaluating the sign of the second-degree derivative at all critical points will
tell us where the function is concave up or concave down.
1 2 Find second-degree derivative
1 − 2 = 1 − 𝑥 −3
𝑥3
2 −5 2 2 Evaluate the sign at the critical
−1 ∗ − 𝑥 3 = 5 = 3
3 5 values
3𝑥 3 3√𝑥
𝑓′′(−1) 𝑓′′(1)
Joseph Dimmick
Calculus: 1210
Cesar Melo
9 April 2019
− +
Indicates concave down; ∩ shape Indicates concave up; ∪ shape

8. Locate inflection points.

a. Finding where the second-degree derivative is undefined or equal to 0 will
give us the point(s) of inflection.
2 Is undefined at x = 0
3
3√𝑥 5
𝑓(0) = (0) We already found this value and
now we know that the point (0,0) is
the y axis and point of inflection.

9. Sketch the curve.

As you can see from my hand written

work and graph I made a slight
mistake when labeling the intervals
where the function increases and
decreases. I accidentally evaluated
the original function at the critical
point to determine the growth so
when I went to graph the actual curve
nothing was lining up with my
sketches of concavity. It took me a
hot minute to realize my mistake and
I started over from scratch to find it
(this is the second version). Once I
got back to the section of finding
where the graph increases and
decreases I was really up set that I
came up with the same answer that’s
and I just sat and starred at it for a
while before I realized my mistake
was made when I make my chart. I
forgot to check the interval of (-1,1)
and didn’t realize it. I have used this
type of graph analysis before in
statistics. An interesting graph I seen just the other day was a graph of median home
prices in 11 different cities in the United States. The local maximum was the year the
home was worth the most (x = year, y = dollar value in the hundred-thousands). A few
years back I used a graph to determine what days of the week specific items on a video
game were worth (in game currency) to maximize virtual profits. It worked for about a
month and a half, but lurking variables messed it all up. I think my graph was pretty darn
close the computer-generated version I included. I think if I evaluated the limit as x
approaches 0 I would have discovered that it kind of follows the y-axis for a short
Joseph Dimmick
Calculus: 1210
Cesar Melo
9 April 2019
interval.