Find the minimum value of f(x) = 8·x2·x for x > 0.
In order to find any minimum values of f(x), we first need to find the critical points of f(x).
A number c in the domain of f is called a critical point if f'(x) is .
Find f'(x).
f(x) = 8·x2·x
f'(x) = ·x2·x(1 + ln(x)))
When x > 0, 8·x2·x is zero and 8·x2·x is .
Use the critical point, , to divide the real line for x > 0 into two intervals.
,
To determine if yields a maximum or minimum, we need to find the sign of f'(x) in each interval and then use the first derivative test.
Since , let's pick x1 = 0.1 in the first interval and x2 = 1 in the second interval. Fill in the table below with the appropriate sign.
Interval | x-value | Sign of f'(x) |
---|---|---|
|
0.1 | |
|
1 |
Thus, the local value of the function is as follows.