Re: how to show for what values the function is increasing/decreasing
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg104102] Re: how to show for what values the function is increasing/decreasing
- From: pfalloon <pfalloon at gmail.com>
- Date: Mon, 19 Oct 2009 07:12:26 -0400 (EDT)
- References: <hbemj1$gfj$1@smc.vnet.net>
On Oct 18, 8:19 pm, JEZUS <barefoot1... at gmail.com> wrote:
> how to show
>
> that for what values of m, the function
>
> f(x) = m * log(x) / 2^m + (1-x^m) / (1+x)^m
>
> is increasing/decreasing. That for what values of m, df/dx > 0 for all
> x>=1, ....
>
> here, x >= 1
>
> it looks like the (i am not sure):
>
> df/dx > 0 for 0 < m <=3
>
> df/dx < 0 for m < 0
>
> df/dx < 0 for m > 0
Here is a fairly simple-minded approach to the problem using
Mathematica:
(* clear any previous definitions *)
Clear[f,m,x]
(* define function of m and x *)
f[m_,x_] = m * Log[x] / 2^m + (1-x^m) / (1+x)^m
(* visualize as a function of x for different *)
Manipulate[Plot[f[m,x], {x,1,100}, PlotRange->All, AxesOrigin->
{1,0}], {m,0.001,10,Appearance->"Labeled"}]
At this point, playing around with slider control for m shows that for
m less than approximately 3, the curve increases monotonically for
x>1, while for larger m it is no longer monotonic and starts off as a
decreasing function.
This suggests that we look at the behaviour of the function and its
derivatives near x == 1:
(* evaluate function and derivatives at x=1 *)
Table[FullSimplify[Derivative[0,n][f][m,1]], {n,0,3}] // TableForm
0
0
0
-2^(-2-m) (-3+m) m^2
This shows that the first three derivatives vanish at x==1. So the
sign of the third derivative at x==1 will tell us whether f[m,x] is
going to increase or decrease for x>1:
(* find zeros of third derivative *)
Reduce[Derivative[0,3][f][m,1] == 0, m]
m==0 || m==3
So the cutoffs are 0 and 3 as you noted.
Hope this is useful.
Cheers,
Peter.