Calculus inflection point question

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on determining whether the function f, defined with a continuous second derivative, has an inflection point at x = 0 given the conditions f(0) = 1, f'(0) = 2, and f''(0) = 0. It is established that for an inflection point to exist, f'' must change sign in the vicinity of x = 0. The participant suggests that without analyzing the neighborhood around x = 0, it is impossible to definitively conclude the presence of an inflection point. The example function f(x) = 1 + 2x is also mentioned to illustrate the concept.

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  • Understanding of continuous functions and derivatives
  • Knowledge of inflection points and their significance in calculus
  • Familiarity with the second derivative test
  • Basic comprehension of function behavior near critical points
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  • Explore examples of functions with known inflection points
  • Learn about the implications of continuity in derivatives
  • Investigate the relationship between first and second derivatives
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Homework Statement


Suppose that f has a continuous second derivative for all x, and that f(0) = 1, f'(0) = 2, and f''(0) = 0. Does f have an inflection point at x = 0?


Homework Equations


none


The Attempt at a Solution


I know that for f'' to have a point of inflection, it needs to change sign near that point, but I can't remember if there's a test for f'' that involves f' to find out if it does. Should I just say that it is impossible to say, since I can't analyze the 'neighborhood' of x = 0 to see if f'' changes sign?
 
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Since f' is continuous for all x, small changes in x correspond to small changes in f'(x). For a value c very close to 0, f'(c) would have to decrease by 2 units in order for it to become negative.
 

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