True or False Integral Calculus Question #3

Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
4 replies · 2K views
MermaidWonders
Messages
112
Reaction score
0
True or False: If $f(x)$ is a negative function that satisfies $f'(x) > 0$ for $0 \le x \le 1$, then the right hand sums always yield an underestimate of $\int_{0}^{1} (f(x))^2\,dx$.

- - - Updated - - -

Would it be true since right hand Riemann sums for a negative, increasing function will always produce an underestimate for the integral, so it doesn't really matter if the entire "function" we're dealing with is squared?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
$(f(x))^2\ge0$
 
Or... would it be that squaring $f(x)$ will turn $f(x)$ into a positive function from a negative function, so the statement is going to be false because taking the right Riemann sum will still give you an overestimate for positive, increasing functions?
 
Yeah, OK. So, in that case, it becomes a positive, increasing function, so it's an overestimate, right?
 
That's right.