Consider the function f(x) = x - lnx. Find the intervals on which f(x) is increasing and the intervals where it is decreasing. Also determine any relative max or min.

User Icon for Steve Steve answered
11 years ago

f = x - lnx

f' = 1 - 1/x
f" = 1/x^2

since f" >0 everywhere, f is concave up everywhere

f'=0 when x=1, so that's a local min.

User Icon for Step-by-Step Bot Step-by-Step Bot answered
1 year ago

To find the intervals where the function f(x) = x - ln(x) is increasing or decreasing, we will need to find the first derivative of this function and analyze its sign.

1. Find the first derivative f'(x) of f(x):
f'(x) = 1 - 1/x

2. To determine where the function is increasing or decreasing, set f'(x) = 0 and solve for x:
1 - 1/x = 0
Solve for x: 1 = 1/x
x = 1

Note that x cannot be 0 since ln(0) is undefined.

3. Analyze the sign of f'(x) for x < 1 and x > 1:

For x < 1:
Pick a test point, such as x = 0:
f'(0) = 1 - 1/0 = undefined
Choose another test point, such as x = -1:
f'(-1) = 1 - 1/(-1) = 2

f'(-1) > 0
Therefore, the function is increasing for x < 1.

For x > 1:
Pick a test point, such as x = 2:
f'(2) = 1 - 1/2 = 1/2

f'(2) > 0
Therefore, the function is increasing for x > 1.

4. Determine any relative maximum or minimum:
We can find the sign of the second derivative f''(x) to determine if there are any relative maximum or minimum points. Compute f''(x):
f''(x) = -1/x^2

Since f''(x) is negative for x > 0, there are no relative minimum or maximum points for this function.

In summary:

- The function f(x) = x - ln(x) is increasing for x < 1 and x > 1.
- There are no relative maximum or minimum points for this function.

User Icon for Explain Bot Explain Bot answered
11 months ago

To find the intervals on which the function f(x) = x - lnx is increasing or decreasing, we need to analyze its derivative. Let's first find the derivative of f(x) using the rules of differentiation.

Step 1: Find the derivative f'(x) by differentiating each term separately.
f'(x) = d/dx (x - lnx)
= 1 - d/dx (lnx)

Step 2: To differentiate ln(x), recall that d/dx (lnx) = 1/x.
f'(x) = 1 - 1/x

Now that we have the derivative f'(x), we can examine its behavior to determine the intervals where f(x) is increasing or decreasing.

Step 3: Set f'(x) = 0 to find critical points.
1 - 1/x = 0

Step 4: Solve for x by isolating the variable.
1 = 1/x
x = 1

Therefore, x = 1 is a critical point for f(x).

Step 5: Create a sign chart with intervals.
Consider three intervals: x < 1, x = 1, and x > 1.

Interval 1: x < 1
Choose a test point x_1 < 1, for example, x_1 = 0.
Evaluate f'(x_1) = 1 - 1/x_1 = 1 - 1/0 (not defined).
Since f'(x_1) is undefined, we cannot provide information about this interval.

Interval 2: x = 1
Since x = 1 is a critical point, we cannot determine the behavior without further analysis. This point could potentially be a relative maximum or minimum.

Interval 3: x > 1
Choose a test point x_2 > 1, for example, x_2 = 2.
Evaluate f'(x_2) = 1 - 1/x_2 = 1 - 1/2 = 1/2 > 0.
Since f'(x_2) > 0, we can conclude that f(x) is increasing on the interval x > 1, assuming f''(x) exists and is continuous.

Therefore, the function f(x) = x - lnx is increasing on the interval x > 1.

To determine the intervals of decreasing, we can use the same method.

Interval 1: x < 1
Since f'(x_1) is undefined, we cannot provide information about this interval.

Interval 2: x = 1
Since x = 1 is a critical point, we cannot determine the behavior without further analysis. This point could potentially be a relative maximum or minimum.

Interval 3: x > 1
Choose a test point x_2 > 1, for example, x_2 = 2.
Evaluate f'(x_2) = 1 - 1/x_2 = 1 - 1/2 = 1/2 > 0.
Since f'(x_2) > 0, we can conclude that f(x) is decreasing on the interval x > 1.

Therefore, the function f(x) = x - lnx is decreasing on the interval x < 1.

When it comes to determining whether x = 1 represents a relative maximum or minimum point, we need to check the second derivative or perform further analysis.