Please help. Points of inflection and chain rule

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on finding extrema, points of inflection, and asymptotes for the function f(x) = x^3/(x^3 + 1). The first derivative, calculated using the Quotient Rule, is f'(x) = 3x^2/(x^3 + 1)^2. Participants emphasize the importance of applying the Quotient Rule correctly to derive the second derivative for identifying points of inflection. The suggested approach involves breaking down the function into g(x) = 3x^2 and h(x) = (x^3 + 1)^2, and then applying the Quotient Rule formula: (g/h)' = (h'g - gh')/h^2.

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  • Understanding of calculus concepts such as derivatives and critical points.
  • Familiarity with the Quotient Rule for differentiation.
  • Knowledge of the Chain Rule for composite functions.
  • Ability to identify asymptotes and points of inflection in functions.
NEXT STEPS
  • Practice applying the Quotient Rule with various functions to solidify understanding.
  • Learn how to find points of inflection using second derivatives.
  • Explore asymptote identification techniques for rational functions.
  • Study the relationship between critical points and the behavior of functions.
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Students studying calculus, particularly those focusing on differentiation and function analysis, as well as educators seeking to clarify these concepts for their students.

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Homework Statement



Skethch the greaph of x^3/(x^3+1). Identify all extrema and points of inflection, asymptote equations, and easily found intercepts

Homework Equations



If a/b=0, a must be 0.(thats how I got critical points from first derivative)
And chain rule: F'(x) = f '(g(x)) g '(x)
And so on.

The Attempt at a Solution



What I have to do is to find points of inflection, asymptotes, and critical points. And I took the first derivative using Quotient rule and got 3x^2/(x^3+1)^2
I am going to take the second derivative of my original function to get ponts of inflection, but I am stuck.

As you can see, f'(x) = 3x^2/(x^3+1)^2
And I pondered a bit for I think I need to use chain rule because of that (x^3+1)^2 in the denominator. But how should I use it? what about the numerator?
I can't just use chain rule in the denominator, and use power rule in nominator on my own, right? I have a bad feeling about this.

This is what I will get if I apply power rule in nominator and apply chain rule in denominator:

6x/[2(x^3+1)(3x^2)] This is wrong, right? because I treated numerator and denominator by using different rules on each of them. Can you check this for me? What should I do in order to get the second derivative?
Or can I just ignore the denominator and just take Quotient rule again to get derivative?
 
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Your second derivative doesn't look quite right.
Since you're having trouble getting the second derivative, try doing it in steps, starting from f'(x) = 3x2/(x3 + 1)2
Let g(x) = 3x2 and h(x) = (x3 + 1)2. Find g' and h' and then just plug everything into the right side of the quotient rule formula
[tex]\left(\frac{g}{h}\right)' = \frac{h'g - gh'}{h^2}[/tex]
and simplify.
 
Now I get it. I was quite chaotic when I first saw this problem. Thank you for your advice!
 

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