Understanding the Relationship Between Concavity and Negative Second Derivative in Calculus

If f(x) is concave down, then f”(x) is?

If f(x) is concave down, it means that its graph curves downward or is shaped like a frown

If f(x) is concave down, it means that its graph curves downward or is shaped like a frown. This implies that the second derivative, f”(x), is negative.

To understand why this is the case, we need to examine the relationship between the concavity of a function and its second derivative.

The second derivative represents the rate of change of the first derivative. In other words, it tells us how the slope of the graph of f(x) changes as x varies. When f”(x) is negative, it means that the slope of the graph of f(x) is decreasing as x increases.

When the slope is decreasing, the graph of f(x) curves downward. This is what we understand as concave down. Conversely, if f”(x) is positive, it means that the slope is increasing as x increases, leading to a graph that curves upward or is concave up.

Therefore, when f(x) is concave down, f”(x) is negative. This relationship is an important concept in calculus and helps us analyze the behavior of functions.

More Answers:

Understanding Increasing Functions and Positive Derivatives in Mathematics
Understanding the Relationship Between Decreasing Functions and Negative Derivatives in Mathematics
Understanding Concave Up Functions: Implications of Positive Second Derivative

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