Chapter 10: Problem 1
Let \(f(x)=\frac{e^{x}}{x^{2}+1} .\) Find and classify the critical points.
Short Answer
Expert verified
The function \(f(x)=\frac{e^{x}}{x^{2}+1}\) has a critical point at \(x=1\). The point is neither a local maximum nor a local minimum as the second derivative test is inconclusive at \(x=1\).
Step by step solution
01
Find the derivative of the function
Applying the quotient rule of differentiation which states that \(\frac{d}{dx}\left(\frac{u}{v}\right)=\frac{vu'-uv'}{v^2}\), where \(u = e^x\) and \(v = x^2 + 1\). Thus, \(u' = e^x\) and \(v' = 2x\). Therefore, \[f'(x) = \frac{(x^2+1)e^x - 2x e^x }{(x^2 + 1)^2}\]
02
Find the critical points
Now, set \(f'(x) = 0\) and solve for \(x\). This gives: \[0 = \frac{(x^2+1)e^x - 2x e^x }{(x^2 + 1)^2}\] Simplifying, the equation becomes: \[0 = (x^2 - 2x + 1)e^x\] So, \(x = 1\) is a critical point.
03
Classify the critical points
Finally, classify the critical point. Take the second derivative of the function and substitute \(x =1\) into the second derivative, \(f''(x)\). The critical point is a local minimum if \(f''(1) >0\), it is a local maximum if \(f''(1)<0\) and the test is inconclusive if \(f''(1) =0\).
04
Calculation of the second derivative
Finding the second derivative \(f''(x)\) requires applying the quotient rule twice. After some derivative calculations, we will have: \[f''(x)=\frac{(x^2-6x+1)e^x}{(x^2+1)^3}\]
05
Classification of the critical point
Substitute \(x = 1\) into \(f''(x)\) to retrieve \(f''(1)=0\). Thus, the second derivative test is inconclusive.
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Understanding the Quotient Rule
When you need to differentiate a function that is expressed as a quotient of two functions, the quotient rule is your go-to tool. It makes the process straightforward by providing a specific formula:
\[\frac{d}{dx}\left(\frac{u}{v}\right) = \frac{v \cdot u' - u \cdot v'}{v^2}\]Here's how it works:
This differentiation provides a useful expression for finding critical points, which are values of \(x\) where the derivative equals zero or is undefined.
\[\frac{d}{dx}\left(\frac{u}{v}\right) = \frac{v \cdot u' - u \cdot v'}{v^2}\]Here's how it works:
- Identify the two parts of your function — the numerator (\(u\)) and the denominator (\(v\)).
- Differentiate both parts: \(u'\) is the derivative of the numerator and \(v'\) is the derivative of the denominator.
- Substitute into the formula to find the derivative of the quotient.
This differentiation provides a useful expression for finding critical points, which are values of \(x\) where the derivative equals zero or is undefined.
Exploring the Second Derivative Test
The second derivative test determines if a critical point is a local maximum, minimum, or an inflection point. Here's a breakdown of how it works:
- Calculate the second derivative of the function \(f(x)\).
- Substitute the critical point found from the first derivative into the second derivative.
- Assess the nature of the critical point:
- If \(f''(x) > 0\), it's a local minimum.
- If \(f''(x) < 0\), it's a local maximum.
- If \(f''(x) = 0\), the test is inconclusive, indicating you might need another method to determine the behavior.
The Basics of Differentiation in Calculus
Differentiation is a fundamental concept in calculus, used to analyze the rate at which things change. At its core, differentiation provides the derivative, which can inform us of the slope of a tangent to a curve at any given point.
With functions like \(f(x) = \frac{e^x}{x^2 + 1}\), differentiation allows us to solve for critical points — spots on the curve where the function reaches local maximums or minimums, or possibly changes concavity.
To find the critical points:
With functions like \(f(x) = \frac{e^x}{x^2 + 1}\), differentiation allows us to solve for critical points — spots on the curve where the function reaches local maximums or minimums, or possibly changes concavity.
To find the critical points:
- Compute the first derivative and set it to zero to locate critical points.
- Use the second derivative to determine the nature of these points, as shown earlier.