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Increasing and Decreasing Function

The document discusses increasing and decreasing functions. An increasing function is one where the output value (y) increases as the input value (x) increases. A decreasing function is one where the output value decreases as the input increases. Derivatives can be used to determine if a function is increasing or decreasing over an interval based on whether the derivative is positive or negative over that interval. The document provides mathematical definitions of increasing, decreasing, and constant functions and explains how to identify intervals of increase and decrease based on the graph of a function.

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8K views

Increasing and Decreasing Function

The document discusses increasing and decreasing functions. An increasing function is one where the output value (y) increases as the input value (x) increases. A decreasing function is one where the output value decreases as the input increases. Derivatives can be used to determine if a function is increasing or decreasing over an interval based on whether the derivative is positive or negative over that interval. The document provides mathematical definitions of increasing, decreasing, and constant functions and explains how to identify intervals of increase and decrease based on the graph of a function.

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Increasing and Decreasing Functions

Increasing and Decreasing function is one of the applications of derivatives. Derivatives


are used to identify that the function is increasing or decreasing in a particular interval.

Generally, we know that if something is increasing, it is going upward and if something is decreasing
it is going downwards. Hence if we talk graphically, if the graph of function is going upward then it is
an increasing function and if the graph is going downward then it is a decreasing function.

Increasing and Decreasing Function

A function is said to be an increasing function if the value of y increases with the increase
in x. As we can see from the above figure that at the right of the origin, the curve is going upward as
we are going to the right so it is called Increasing Function.

A function is said to be a decreasing function if the value of y decreases with the increase
in x. As above, in the left of the origin, the curve is going downward if we are moving from left to
right.

Definition of Increasing Function


This is the definition of a function which is increasing on an interval.

If there is a function y = f(x)


 A function is increasing over an interval, if for every x1 and x2 in the interval,

x1 < x2, f( x1) ≤ f(x2)

 A function is strictly increasing over an interval, if for every x1 and x2 in the interval,

x1 < x2, f( x1) < f(x2)


There is a difference of symbol in both the above increasing functions.

Definition of Decreasing Function


If there is a function y = f(x)

 A function is decreasing over an interval , if for every x1 and x2 in the interval,

x1 < x2, f( x1) ≥ f(x2)

 A function is strictly decreasing over an interval, if for every x1 and x2 in the interval,

x1 < x2, f( x1) > f(x2)


Definition of Increasing and Decreasing function at a point

Let x0 be a point on the curve of a real valued function f. Then f is said to be increasing, strictly
increasing, decreasing or strictly decreasing at x0, if there exists an open interval I containing x0 such
that f is increasing, strictly increasing, decreasing or strictly decreasing, respectively in I.

If there is a function f and interval I = (x0 – h, x0 + h), h > 0

 It is said to be increasing at x0 if f is increasing in (xo - h, x0 + h)

x1 < x2 in I ⇒ f(x1) ≤ f(x2)

 It is said to be strictly increasing at x0 if f is strictly increasing in (x0 - h, x0 + h)

x1 < x2 in I ⇒ f(x1) < f(x2)

 It is said to be decreasing at x0 if f is decreasing in (xo - h, x0 + h)

x1 < x2 in I ⇒ f(x1) ≥ f(x2)

 It is said to be strictly decreasing at x0 if f is strictly decreasing in (x0 - h, x0 + h)

x1 < x2 in I ⇒ f(x1) > f(x2)


How derivatives are used to find whether the function is
Increasing or Decreasing Function?
We can use the first derivative test to check whether the function is increasing or decreasing.

Theorem
Let f be continuous on [a, b] and differentiable on the open interval (a, b). Then

(a) If f′(x) > 0 for each x ∈ (a, b) then f is increasing in interval [a, b]

(b) If f′(x) < 0 for each x ∈ (a, b) then f is decreasing in interval [a, b]

(c) If f′(x) = 0 for each x ∈ (a, b) then f is a constant function in [a, b]

1. f is strictly increasing in (a, b) if f ' (x) > 0, ∀ x ∈ [a, b]

2. f is strictly decreasing in (a, b) if f ' (x) < 0, ∀ x ∈ [a, b]

3. f is increasing or decreasing on R if it is increasing or decreasing


in every interval of R

What are intervals of increase and decrease?


Interval is basically all the numbers between given two numbers.
If we talk about curve, we can say the portion of curve which is coming in between the two given
numbers on the x-axis is the required interval.

As in the above figure,

Interval Type of function

(-5,-2) Increasing

(-2,1) Constant

(1,3) Increasing

(3,5) decreasing

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