Let where for all . If is decreasing in and increasing in , what is ?
- A
- B
- C
- D
Let where for all . If is decreasing in and increasing in , what is ?
Correct answer:C
Standard Method
Given: and for all .
Find: , where is decreasing in and increasing in .
Since on , the function is increasing on this interval.
Because decreases before and increases after , the turning point occurs at . Hence,
Differentiate :
so
At ,
Since is increasing, equal values of imply equal inputs. Therefore,
Now,
Therefore, the correct option is C.
Using Monotonicity of Derivative
Given: on , so is convex and is strictly increasing.
Find: The value of .
For ,
The change from decreasing to increasing occurs where changes sign, so at the transition point,
Because is increasing, it is one-one on the interval. Hence the equality above forces
which gives
and therefore
So the correct answer is .
Equating and without first justifying why. This works only because makes increasing, so equal outputs of imply equal inputs.
Differentiating incorrectly. By the chain rule,
not .
Using the condition on monotonicity of but forgetting that the transition point must satisfy . The decrease-then-increase pattern identifies a minimum point at .
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