Question on a. Determine the absolute extreme values of on the given interval when they exist. b. Use a graphing utility to confirm your conclusions. Part 1 of 3
Studdy Solution
STEP 1
What is this asking? Find the *highest* and *lowest* points of a curvy line between two endpoints. Watch out! Don't forget to check the *endpoints* themselves, they can be sneaky and hold the extreme values!
STEP 2
1. Find the derivative.
2. Find critical points.
3. Evaluate at critical points and endpoints.
STEP 3
Alright, let's **kick things off** by finding the derivative of our function .
Remember, the derivative tells us the *slope* of our function at any given point, which is *key* to finding those peaks and valleys!
STEP 4
Using the power rule, we bring down the exponent and multiply it by the coefficient, then decrease the exponent by one.
So, the derivative, denoted as , is:
Boom! There's our **derivative**!
STEP 5
Now, let's **hunt down** those critical points!
Critical points are where the derivative is either zero or undefined.
Since our derivative is a nice, well-behaved polynomial, it's defined everywhere, so we just need to find where it's equal to zero.
STEP 6
Setting equal to zero gives us: We can **simplify things** by dividing everything by : This is a **classic quadratic equation**, and we can **factor** it like a pro: This gives us two **critical points**: and .
STEP 7
Now for the **grand finale**!
We need to evaluate our original function at our critical points ( and ) *and* the endpoints of our interval ( and ).
STEP 8
Let's start with : Next, : Now, : Finally, :
STEP 9
The **absolute minimum** value is at , and the **absolute maximum** value is at .
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