Thread: Sketching a graph using given characteristics...I'm stumped

Ok so maybe this is easy, maybe it's not. At least for me it seems impossible; I'm absolutely horrible with graphs. But here's the problem. Help please?

Sketch a graph with the following characteristics: f(-2),f'(-2), and f''(-2) are all negative; f'(0) does not exist; f(x) has a local maximum at the point (2,3); there is exactly one point of inflection on the interval (0,2); and the limit of f(x) as x goes to infinity is equal to -1

Thanks!

Hello, Ahe!

Just "talk" your way through it . . .

Sketch a graph with the following characteristics:

(1) are all negative.

(2) does not exist.

(3) has a local maximum at (2,3).

(4) There is exactly one point of inflection on the interval (0,2).

(5)

(1) is negative. .At the graph is below the x-axis.

. . . is negative. .The graph is decreasing.

. . . is negative. .The graph is concave down.

It is shaped like this:

Code:

            -2
   - - - - - + - - - - -
      *      :
          *  :
             o
               *
                *

(2) does not exist.
. . .There is a vertical asymptote at


(3) There is a local maximum at (2,3)


(4) There is one inflection point on (0,2).
Since the curve is concave down at the maximum (2,3),
. . it was concave up to the left of the inflection point.
It looks something like this:

Code:

        |            (2,3)
        |*            o
        |          *  :  *
        | *      o    :      *
        |  *    *     :
        |    *        :
      --+-------------+--------
        0             2

(5) There is a horizontal asymptote: .


I would guess that the graph looks like this:

Code:

                   |
                   |*             o
                   |           *  :  *
                   | *      o     :    *
                   |  *    *:     :      *
                   |    *   :     :        *
          -2       |        :     :           *
  ---------+-------+--------+-----+--------------*---------
           :       |        1     2                    *
 - - - - - : - - - + - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
  *        :       |                    y = -1
       *   :       |
           o       |
              *    |
                *  |
                 * |
                   |
                  *|
                   |

Originally Posted by Ahe

Ok so maybe this is easy, maybe it's not. At least for me it seems impossible; I'm absolutely horrible with graphs. But here's the problem. Help please?

Sketch a graph with the following characteristics: f(-2),f'(-2), and f''(-2) are all negative; f'(0) does not exist; f(x) has a local maximum at the point (2,3); there is exactly one point of inflection on the interval (0,2); and the limit of f(x) as x goes to infinity is equal to -1

Thanks!

Do you understand that the problem says "a" graph because there are an infinite number of such graphs.

f(-2) is negative: mark some point (-2, y) with y any negative number you like. f'(-2) is negative: draw a short line segment with negative slope (upper left to lower right) at that point. f"(-2) is negative: draw a little arc at that point, tangent to the line segment, curving slightly downward.

f'(0) does not exist: make a "corner", like |x|, at x=0.

f(x) has a local maximum at the point (2, 3). Mark the point (2,3) and draw a small arc with vertex there, opening downward.

There is exactly one inflection point on the interval [0, 2]. Since you already have that the graph is 'concave downward' (curving downward) at (2,3) draw an arc at some point (0, y) with y between 3 and the "y" at f(-2) curving upward and connect those two arcs.

The limit of f(x), as x goes to infinity, is -1. Draw a horizontal line at y= -1 to the right of your coordinate systems. Draw a graph getting closer and closer to that as you go to the right.

Finally, connect all of those pieces together in any way you like!