Stage 36 · Limits, Derivatives & Their Applications
36.5.2 Finding Intervals of Increase and Decrease
36.5 The Derivative as a Spotlight: Studying How Functions Behave
Point 2 of 6
36.5.2 Finding Intervals of Increase and Decrease
Core ideaSolve f′(x)>0 and f′(x)<0, then mark off the uphill stretches and the downhill stretches.
Module goal. Read a function's rise and fall from the sign of its derivative, pin down its peaks, valleys, and extremes, and see the shape of a curve at a glance.