
7-1
7
Maxima and Minima
L e a rnin g Obje c ti v e s
After reading this chapter, you will be conversant with:
♦ Increasing and Decreasing Functions
♦ Second Derivative Test
♦ Optimisation
♦ Convexity, Concavity and Points of Inflection
♦ Curve Tracing
Introduction
We often need to find what particular input value of a function provides a greatest (maximum) value
or a least (minimum) value when it is plugged in. These points at which functions take maximum or
minimum are significant in various applications of the functions such as in graphing functions. This
chapter is devoted to various methods of finding maximum and minimum values of a function ...