Properties of a twice-differentiable function

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The discussion centers on the properties of a twice-differentiable function f, given that f(0), f'(0), and f''(0) are negative. It is established that while f'' is increasing, has a unique zero, and is unbounded on [0, ∞), f itself does not necessarily inherit the property of being increasing. The conclusion drawn is that f only possesses properties II and III, which raises questions about the implications of f's initial negative slope. The confusion lies in reconciling the behavior of f with the characteristics of its derivatives. Ultimately, the analysis clarifies that the initial conditions affect f's behavior, leading to a deeper understanding of its properties.
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 [0, \infty).
II. It has a unique zero in the interval [0, \infty).
III. It is unbounded on the interval [0, \infty).

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

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.
 
Well, I totally overlooked that.

Thanks for the help.
 
Question: A clock's minute hand has length 4 and its hour hand has length 3. What is the distance between the tips at the moment when it is increasing most rapidly?(Putnam Exam Question) Answer: Making assumption that both the hands moves at constant angular velocities, the answer is ## \sqrt{7} .## But don't you think this assumption is somewhat doubtful and wrong?

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