Thread: relative minimum

Let f be the function given by f(x)= x^4/16-x^3+3x^2/8-2x. The function f has a relative minimum at x=

Thanks.

I took the derivative to get f'(x)=x^3-12x^2+3x-8 and set that equal to zero...then synthetic division??

Hello,

Watch out, you have to solve f'(x)=0, so you can simplify by 4, but it's completely incorrect to say that f'(x)=x^3-12x^2+3x-8

f'(x)=1/4*(x^3-12x^2+3x-8)

...then the derivative is then use either, graphing calculator, newton's approximation, or use intermediate value theorem noting and