Thread: Local Minimums and Maximums

I'm not really understanding how to do this problem.

For the function is defined by

On Which two intervals is the function increasing?
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and
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Find the region in which the function is positive?
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Where does the function achieve it's minimum?
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My first step is to take the derivative and find the critical numbers.

But what I don't get is:

What does this mean?

For

Is a different way of saying find where the function is increasing?

Find the region in which the function is positive?

means is contained in. So reads is contained in the interval .


positive doesn't mean is increasing.
on the interval is positive but decreasing.