Let f(x)= x^5/120 - x^3/6 + x
Find the local minima and maxima, then determine where the function is decreasing and increasing.
Basically, I just need to know how to type this correctly in my calculator so I can get the right minima and maxima.
I had:
local minima: f(-1.59)=-1.00
f(3.08)=.520
local maxima: f(1.59)=1.00
f(-3.08)=-.520
and
increasing : (-1.5, 1.5)
decreasing : (1.5, 3)
1 answer
Hmm I do not know how to do it entirely by calculator since you have to find the derivative by hand. You can then plug the derivative into the calculator and get the zeros for the local minima and maxima. Local minimas in this case occur only when the slope changes from negative to positive. Local maximas occur when the slope changes from positive to negative. BTW, I took a quick look at the graph and you are missing some intervals for increasing and decreasing so you may want to double check them.