Properties of a twice-differentiable function

In summary, the function f necessarily has properties II and III, as stated in the conversation. This is because the slope of f is initially negative, causing it to decrease initially, and f'' is unbounded on the interval [0, ∞). Therefore, it has a unique zero in the interval and is unbounded on this interval as well.
  • #1
Hitman2-2

Homework Statement


Suppose that f is a twice-differentiable function on the set of real numbers and that f(0), f'(0), and f''(0) are all negative. Suppose f'' has all three of the following properties.

I. It is increasing on the interval [tex] [0, \infty) [/tex].
II. It has a unique zero in the interval [tex] [0, \infty) [/tex].
III. It is unbounded on the interval [tex] [0, \infty) [/tex].

Which of the same three properties does f necessarily have?

Homework Equations


The Attempt at a Solution


I thought that f would have all three properties, but the answer is that it only has properties II & III and I don't see why. If f isn't increasing on the interval, then wouldn't it have to eventually decrease without bound? It looks to me that the first and second derivatives are increasing without bound so why isn't this a contradiction?
 
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  • #2
Hitman2-2 said:

Homework Statement


Suppose that f is a twice-differentiable function on the set of real numbers and that f(0), f'(0), and f''(0) are all negative. Suppose f'' has all three of the following properties.

I. It is increasing on the interval [tex] [0, \infty) [/tex].
II. It has a unique zero in the interval [tex] [0, \infty) [/tex].
III. It is unbounded on the interval [tex] [0, \infty) [/tex].

Which of the same three properties does f necessarily have?

Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution


I thought that f would have all three properties, but the answer is that it only has properties II & III and I don't see why. If f isn't increasing on the interval, then wouldn't it have to eventually decrease without bound? It looks to me that the first and second derivatives are increasing without bound so why isn't this a contradiction?

The slope of f is initially negative, so it has to decrease initially.
 
  • #3
Well, I totally overlooked that.

Thanks for the help.
 

1. What is a twice-differentiable function?

A twice-differentiable function is a function that has a well-defined first and second derivative at every point in its domain. This means that the function is smooth and has no sharp corners or breaks.

2. What are the properties of a twice-differentiable function?

The main properties of a twice-differentiable function include continuity, differentiability, and concavity/convexity. Continuity means that the function is continuous at every point in its domain, differentiability means that the function has a derivative at every point in its domain, and concavity/convexity refers to the shape of the function's graph.

3. How can you determine if a function is twice-differentiable?

A function is twice-differentiable if it is continuous and has a well-defined first and second derivative at every point in its domain. This can be determined by taking the first and second derivatives of the function and checking if they are defined and continuous at every point in the function's domain.

4. What is the relationship between the first and second derivative of a twice-differentiable function?

The second derivative of a twice-differentiable function is the derivative of the first derivative. This means that the second derivative represents the rate of change of the rate of change of the original function. It can also be used to determine the concavity and inflection points of the function.

5. Why are twice-differentiable functions important in calculus and real-world applications?

Twice-differentiable functions are important because they are used to model many real-world phenomena such as motion, population growth, and economic trends. They also play a crucial role in optimization problems and the study of critical points and extrema. Additionally, they are essential in the development of higher-level mathematical concepts such as Taylor series and differential equations.

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